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1 


•-^..  >^     .,    ^  i  ■St.,  :?.: 


',  #: 


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3ZSsn3 


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in  the  ©itit  of  |Urtr  ||ax*h 


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t1 


V(U 


RED   JACKET. 


CANOGA  OCT.  14,  d89d. 


j7e.=^o.  (7/^.,-  ^n/.  y/. 


UNVEILING  OF  THE  MONUMENT 

ERECTED    BY 

The  Waterloo  Library 

AND 

iSTORiCAL  Society, 

AS  A  MEMORIAL 

OF 

RED  JACKET, 

SA-GO-YA^WAT-HA. 

AT  CANOGA.  N.  Y.,      - 

THE  PLACE  OF  HIS  BIRTH, 

OCTOBER  14.  1891- 


EDITED  BY 

S.  R.  Wt:LLES. 

PREST  W-  L.  (^  H-  SOCIETY. 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  SOCIETY. 


•^S'C-ii-'rr 


WATFKIOO 

OBSERVER    rRIXriNG   CO., 
1892. 


•s?oS^ 


o 

v 


3^84C6  ^.''?^ 


RED   JACKET 
Sa-Go-Ya-Wat-Ua, 


From  Stone's  "  Life  of  Red  Jacket"  we  learn  that  several 
portraits  of  the  Chief  were  made  during  the  later  years  of 
his  life.  One  by  Mathies  of  Rochester  in  1820,  one  by  George 
Catlin  and  another  by  Henry  Inman,  "  but  the  picture  by 
Robert  W.  Weir,  taken  in  1828,  at  the  request  of  Dr.  JohnW. 
Francis,"  a  copv  of  which  appears  in  this  publication,  "is  of 
far  the  highest  order  of  merit  and  has  become  the  standard 
likeness  of  the  last  of  the  vSeiieca  Orators." 


UNVEILING  OF  THE'"^ 

MOMUMENT  TO  RED  JACKET, 


C-u— -"l^ 


^-^^^^^^^^^^ :-J 


INTRODUCTORY. 


With  the  opening  of  the  second  century  of  the  national 
life,  and  combined  and  commingling'  with  the  pride,  the  as- 
pirations and  the  hopes  for  the  Future  occasioned  by  that 
event,  there  came  thought  of  the  Past,  and  with  it  the  con- 
viction that  the  nation  in  its  dazzling,  onward  progress,  had 
failed,  in  great  measure,  to  record  the  story  of  the  Republic's 
marvelous  growth. 

History  made  had  not  been  recorded — traditions  had  not 
been  preserved — the  names  of  those  who  had  done  much  to 
lay  strong  and  deep  the  foundation  of  the  Republic  were  for- 
eotten.  With  the  consciousness  of  neglect  came  an  ac- 
knowledgement  of  the  obligation  to  the  century  that 
had  passed,  and  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  value  of 
its  teachings.  Gradually  there  sprang  up  a  feeling  of 
reverence  for  the  Past,  stimulating  the  inquiry:  "  How  can 
the  omissions  be  supplied?"'     This  newly  arou.sed  sentiment, 


10 

'  pontancoiis.  pervasive,  earnest,  wrou^c^ht  out  the  answer.  It 
fostered  the  spirit  of  retrospection;  it  noted,  as  well  as  the 
dimness  of  distance  would  permit,  the  events  and  historical 
landmarks,  which,  like  milestones  on  life's  journey,  marked 
the  epoch's  of  the  nation's  progress. 

Animated  by  this  spirit,  organizations  were  formed  for 
the  gathering  and  ])reservation  of  local  records  and  traditions. 

Too  late,  alas,  for  much  of  precious  historv,  but  much 
was  saved,  and  by  the  good  accomplished,  by  the  spirit  of  re- 
search generated,  by  the  impulse  given  to  the  study  of  local 
history,  they  have  justified  their  existence  and  proven  their 
value. 

The  Waterloo  Historical  vSociety  has  not  been  an  ex- 
ception to  the  general  rule.  Its  existence  led  to  the  endovv- 
ment  of  a  library  and  to  the  erection  of  nn  appropriate  and 
imposing  edifice  for  the  reception  of  books  and  historical  col- 
lections. 

The  celebration  of  the  Centennial  of  the  Sullivan  cam- 
paign against  the  Iroquois  in  1779.  suggested  by,  and  accom- 
plished under  the  auspices  of  the  Society,  was  an  event  re- 
nowned in  the  annals  of  Western  New  York,  and  the  publica- 
tion, by  the  Society,  of  the  full  and  complete  history  of  the 
campaign  contained  in  the  address  of  the  Rev.  David  Craft,  of 
Wyalusing,  Penn.,  delivered  upon  that  occasion,  was  a  most 
valuable  contribution  to  Revolutionary  history,  and  was 
afterward  substantially  reproduced  by  the  State  of  New  York 
in  the  publication  of  the  "Records  of  the  Sullivan  Campaign." 

The  village  of  Waterloo  stands  on  the  .site  of  Skoiyase, 
an  Indian  town  of  the  Cavugas,  which  name,  on  the  authoritv 
of  Hon.  Lewns  H.  Morgan  in  his  "  League  of  the  Iroquois," 
signifies  "  Place  of  Whortleberries."  In  the  journals  of  three 
of  the  officers  attached  to  Sullivan's  Army,  the  town  is 
designated  "  Long  Falls"  or  "  Lirgi  Falls." 

It  was  a  fishing  place  greatly  valued  by  the  Cayugas, 
and  at  the  treaty  between  the  Cayugas  and  the  State  made  at 
Albany,  February  25,  1789,  when  certain  portions  of  their  lands 
were  ceded  to  the  vState  "  the  fi.shing  place  in  the  Seneca  river 


I  I 

at  or  near  a  place  called  Skayes,"  was  reserved.-''  Within  the 
present  limits  of  Seneca  County  nine  Indian  towns  were  de- 
stroyed by  General  Sullivan.  The  addition  to  this  number, 
of  the  seven  which  shared  the  same  fate  on  the  western  side 
of  the  vSeneca,  and  the  eastern  banks  of  the  Cayuga  lakes, 
makes  an  aggregate  of  sixteen  villages  wiped  out  of  existence 
within  a  radius  of  twenty  miles  of  Skoiyase,  being  more  than 
one-third  of  the  entire  number  destroyed  during  the  Sullivan 
campaign.  Among  them  were  Kanadesaga,  the  capital  of  the 
vSeneca  Nation  and  the  residence  of  Sayenquenaghta,  com- 
monly called  Old  Smoke,  Choharo,  noted  for  its  salt  springs, 
Cayuga  Castle,  the  Capital  of  the  Cayuga  Nation,  Skoiyase, 
and  Skanayutenate  located  by  Col.  Dearborn,  on  Canoga 
Creek,  probably  the  Ga-no-geh  mentioned  by  Morgan  in  his 
"  League  of  the  Iroqucis." 

vSituated  as  is  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society 
in  the  midst  of  a  region  replete  with  Indian  associations  and 
traditions,  interest  and  investigation  would  naturally  be  at- 
tracted to  the  subject  of  Indian  History.  Tradition,  in  this 
locality  had  given  to  Canoga,  [Skanayutenate,]  the  honor  of  be- 
ing the  birthplace  of  Red  Jacket,  and  in  the  summer  of  1879, 
a  committee  of  the  Society  under  the  direction  of  Gen.  John 
S.  Clark,  of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  made  an  exploration  of  the  lines 
of  march  through  Seneca  County  of  the  Army  of  General  Sul- 
livan, and  the  detachment  of  Col.  Henry  Dearborn,  along  the 
west  shore  of  Cayuga  lake. 

The  question  of  Red  Jacket's  birthplace  was  also  made  a 
subject  of  investigation,  and  the  report  made  by  the  committee 

*NoTE — At  a  subsequent  treaty  held  at  Cayuga  Ferry,  July  27,  1795,  the 
Scoyes  Reservation  was  ceded  to  the  state,  By  an  act  passed  by  the  Legisla- 
ture March  3,  1802,  the  Commissioners  of  the  Land  Office  were  directed  to 
grant  Letters  Patent  to  John  McKinstry  for  a  certain  lot  of  land  in  the  town  of 
Junius,  Cayuga  Co.,  called  the  Scoyes  Reservation,  provided  that  he  execute  a 
bond  and  Mortgage  for  the  purchase  money  at  the  rate  of  $2.50  an  acre  payable 
in  ten  years  with  annual  interest  at  six  percent.  The  Patent  is  recorded  Dec. 
31.  1807.  The  land  is  described  as  "all  that  certain  tract  of  land  situate  in  the 
town  of  Junius,  Seneca  Co.,  known  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of  the  Cayu- 
ga Reservation  at  Scoyes  or  Scawyase,  bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Seneca 
Riv<r  west  bv  lot  number  97,  north  by  parts  of  numbers  ()7  and  98  and  east 
by  number  98,  corttaining  A40  acres."  This  purchase  subsequently  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Hon.  Elisha  Williams,  of  Hudson,  N.  Y. 


I J 


amply  continnino-  what  tradition  asserted  resulted  in  the  sui^'- 
g-estion  of  the  erection  of  a  suitable  memorial  to  mark  the  spot 
of  his  birth.  Throtit^h  laek  of  means  the  Soeietv  was  prevented 
from  takinu-  any  immediate  action,  but  the  idea  was  not  aban- 
doned, and  in  1890,  when,  throut^h  the  oenerosity  of  a  warm 
friend  of  the  Indians,  and  an  admirer  of  the  oratcM^  of  theSen- 
ecas.  funds  were  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  Trustees, 
measures  were  immediately  taken  to  carry  into  effect  the  long 
contemplated  project.  On  the  road  followinj.^  generally  the 
west  bank  of  Cayuga  lake,  about  a  mile  north  of  the  present 
villaire  of  Canoga,  and  a  half  mile  from  the  lake,  near  the  out- 
let  of  a  stream  known  as  the  Canoga  creek,  running  from 
the  Springs  to  the  lake,  is  located  the  Canoga  cemetery,  a 
beautiful  and  picturesque  spot.  Between  the  cemetery  and 
the.lake,  and  about  forty  rods  from  the  lake  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  creek  was  the  Indian  town  vSkanayutenate.  To  the 
west  of  the  town,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  creek,  and  near  the 
ndge  upon  which  the  lake  road  runs  at  this  point,  stood  the 
wigwam  where  Red  Jacket  first  saw  the  light. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  cemetery  are  scattered  forest 
trees,  and  giant  oaks  dot  the  meadow  land,  which,  on  a  lower 
level,  .stretches  eastward  from  the  road  toward  the  lake.  In 
front  of  the  cemetery  on  the  same  level,  btit  outside  the  en- 
closure, is  a  triangular  plot  of  ground  well  adapted  for  the 
erection  of  a  momumental  structure,  and  with  generous  space 
of  surrounding  lawn.  This  triangular  plot,  hahdscmely 
located  with  appropriate  environments  of  wood  and  hill  and 
stream  and  lake,  was  tendered  by  the  Trustees  of  the 
Cemetery  Association — with  the  hearty  approval  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Canoga — to  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Hkstorical 
Society  as  their  contribution  to  the  memorial  to  the  great 
chief  with  whose  name  that  of  their  town  is  inseparably  con- 
n^>cted. 

When  it  is  con.sidered  that  from  this  spot,  looking  lake- 
ward  one  sees  but  a  few  yards  distant  a  wild  grape  vine,  an 
offshoot  fnmi  the  same  root,  and  growing  on  .the  same  .spot 
whence  .sprang  the  vine  which  clung  to  the  old  sycamore  under 


13 


which  stood  the  wigwam  where  Red  Jaelcet  was  born,  it 
can  be  readily  comprehended  how  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted.  The  Society  desires  to  place  (m  record, 
in  passing,  its  grateftil  acknowledgement  that  fnmi  the 
inception  of  the  work  until  its  completion,  it  has  received 
from  the  citizens  of  Canoga  only  kind  interest  and  valuable 
aid  in  the  promotion  of  the  enterprise.  The  site  for  the  mon 
ument  now  being  definitely  fixed,  and  a  design  adopted,  pro- 
posals were  at  once  solicited  for  its  erection.  Bids  were  re- 
ceived from  several  parties.  The  contract  was  aM^arded  to 
Messrs.  W.  &  J.  Littlejohn,  of  Seneca  Falls,  N.  Y.,  April  23d, 
1 89 1.  The  Trustees  of  the  vSociety  acknowledge  their  in- 
debtedness to  the  contractors  for  the  prompt  and  faithful  ful- 
fillment of  the  contract,  and  the  artistic  execution  of  the  work, 
as  well  as  for  the  valuable  suggestions  made  by  them,  the  adop- 
tion of  which  added  greatly  to  the  beauty  and  perfection  of 
the  design.  A  public  Ceremonial  was  decided  upon  and  the 
14th  of  October,  1891,  named  as  the  day  for  the  unveiling  of 
the  monument.  The  Hon.  W.  C.  Bryant,  of  Buffalo,  kindly 
accepted  an  invitation  to  deliver  the  oration  upon  the  occasion. 
Invitations  thereto  were  issued  to  the  Historical  Societies 
throughout  the  vState,  to  officials  and  prominent  citizens.  To 
invitations  sent  to  the  Seneca  Indians  upon  the  Cattaraugus 
reservation  and  to  the  Cayugas  upon  the  reservation  near 
Brantford,  Canada,  favorable  responses  w-ere  received  and 
delegations  promised.  The  reception  of  a  large  number  of 
letters  containing  strong  expressions  of  approval  of  the  action 
which  the  vSociety  had  taken,  and  hearty  sympathy  with  the 
spirit  which  prompted  the  movement,  was  a  source  of  much 
gratification  to  the  Trustees. 


14 


RECEPTION 


On  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  October  13th,  the  Indian 
deputationvS  from  the  Cattaraiii^ns  reservation  and  fnjm  Canada 
arrived  at  Waterloo  and  were  met  by  a  committee  from  the 
Society  and  escorted  to  the  Towsley  House,  where  ciuarLers 
had  been  assigned  them.  The  delegations  comprised  tlie  fol. 
lowing  Chiefs.  The  English  and  Indian  names  and  the 
translations  are  given: 

0.\(  (NUACA  Cnih-F,  Cauitdd. 
John  Buck,  [Shanawati,]  Over  the  Swamp. 

Cayuga  Chiefs,  Canada. 
Jacob  SilvervSmith,  [Dutowakon,|  Double  Cold. 
William  Henry,  [  Hojokatek,  |  Fish  Carrier. 
William  Sandy,  [Ongadaneten,]  Hang  tlie  Lake. 
Thomas  David,  [Oonhyagwagen,|  All  the  Sky. 
John  Holt,  I  Daskahah,]  Over  Ten. 
James  Styus,  [Thastaji,]  Mountain  Rock.     Interpreter. 

Skneca  Cini:Fs,  CaUaraitgus  Reservation. 

NicholvSon  H.  Parker,  [Ga-yen-twa-geh,  |  Corn  Planter. 

Thomas  Kennedy,  [vSah-go-oh-gwahs,  |  He  Claims  Her. 

John  jacket,  |  Sho-gyo-an-Jioh,]  Holding  the  Earth. 

Wm.  Jones,  |  Tho-na-so-wah,]  Large  Collection  of  vSand. 

Wm.  Nephew,  [Soh-no-Joh-wah,]  Large  Kettle. 

C^hester  C.  Lay,  [Ilo-do-an-Jioh,]  Bearing  the  Earth. 

Accompanying  the  Seneca  delegation  was  Bethia  May 
Parker,  the  grand-daughter  of  Chief  Parker. 

A  Reception  in  their  honor  had  been  arranged  for  the 
evening,  and  at  <S  o'clock  the  delegates,  a  portion  of 
whom  were  clad  in  native  costume  and  resplendent 
with     feathers,     belts     and     sashes,     reached    the      Society 


C     UJ 


v.    — 

~      IS-. 


-.  o 


u 


in    U 
—    Li 

d  c 


^  < 


15 

buildinu-  and  were  CDiidiieted  into  the  hall  where  a  erowded 
house  awaited  their  eoming.  Being  seated  upon  the  stage 
with  other  invited  guests,  the  President  of  the  Society,  Dr.  S. 
R.  Welles,  stated  the  object  of  the  gathering  to  be,  to  meet 
and  welcome  their  Iroquois  guests,  who  were  present,  upon 
invitation,  to  participate  in  the  exercises  attendant  upon  the 
unveiling  of  the  monument  erected  by  the  Waterloo  Library 
and  Historical  Society  as  a  memorial  to  Red  Jacket,  at  Can- 
oga,  where  the  great  orator  was  born. 

He  then  introduced  Mr.  Conover,  (Hywesaus,)  who,  being 
a  member  of  the  vSeneca  tribe  by  adoption,  had  been  requested 
to  welcome  the  Indian  guests  on  behalf  of  the  Society. 

MR.    CONOVEK's    ADkRESS    TO    THE    INDIANS. 

Brothers  of  the  Six  Nations: — It  was  the  custom  of  our 
ancestors  when  receiving  a  deputation  of  Indians,  to  give 
thanks  to  the  Great  Spirit  and  then  prevsent  a  belt  or  strings  of 
wampum  to  open  their  eyes  that  the}'  might  see  clearly,  to 
wipe  the  tears  from  their  eyes  if  they  had  sustained  loss  or 
misfortune,  to  open  their  ears  that  they  might  hear  distinctl}^ 
and  also  to  remove  all  obstructions  from  their  breasts,  and 
confirm  the  words  that  were  spoken. 

i\lthough  we  have  no  wampum,  we  do  not  want  you  to 
think  that  our  words  are  the  "  voice  of  the  birds,"  but  that  thev 
are  uttered  in  all  .sincerity  and  heartiness. 

Brothers: — Open  your  ear.=; !  We  thank  the  Great  Spirit 
for  watching  over  you  and  prospering  you  in  your  journey, 
and  bringing  you  to  us  to  receive  the  greetings  of  this  assem- 
bly. If  death  has  lately  come  into  any  of  your  households,  or 
vou  have  met  with  any  grievous  trouble  or  sorrowful  dis- 
appointment, we  pray  that  the  Great  Spirit  may  wipe  away 
your  tears,  bind  up  your  wounded  hearts  and  give  you  all 
needed  consolation  and  sustenance. 

Brothers  of  the  Senecas:--x\ttend!  Not  many  years  ago 
you  adopted  into  your  tribes  three  white  people,  one  of 
whom,  Hywesaus,  now  addresses  you,  our  sister,  Ga-ya-nes- 
ha-oh,  we  regret  is  not  present  with  us  on  this  occasion;  our 
brother  Toandoah  the  Great  Spirit  has  taken  from  us,  and,  as 
we  trust,  to  the  happy  hunting  ground.  How  glad  and  happy 
he  would  be  if  he  were  here  to-night.  While  we  sympathize 
with  you  in  the  loss  you  have  sustained  of  your  adopted  child, 


i6 

our  hearts  are  very  sad,  for  we  greatly  miss  him.  This  vil- 
lage was  his  home  for  many  years,  and  all  knew  and  loved 
him.  This  Historical  vSociety  of  which  he  was  a  director  and 
with  which  he  was  prominently  identified  for  so  many  years — 
and  the  little  children,  all  of  whom  he  had  a  tender  and  affec- 
tionate regard  for — all  miss  their  dear  friend.  We  can  only 
look  to  the  Great  Spirit  for  comfort  in  this  sad  bereavement. 

Brothers  of  the  Cayugas: — Attend!  The  place  where  we 
now  are,  once  belonged  to  your  ancestors.  When  they  .sold 
the  greater  part  of  their  land  to  the  vState,  a  seat  of  land  at 
Canoga,  was  reserved  for  the  use  of  their  venei able  andprom- 
inenfchief,  Fish  Carrier.  In  the  cour.se  of  time  the  State  ob- 
tained the  title  to  that  reservation.  On  this  land  was  the 
birthplace  of  the  famous  orator,  Sagoyewatha,  and  near  that 
spot  the  monument  to  his  memory  has  been  erected  by  the 
Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society,  and  to-morrow  we 
go  there  to  hold  the  dedication  .services.  Another  clause  in 
the  treaty  contained  a  reservation  for  your  nation,  as  follows: 
"Also  the  place  in  the  Seneca  River  at  or  near  a  place  called 
Skayes  [Skoi-yase  ]  where  the  Cayugas  have  heretofore  taken 
Eel,  and  a  competent  piece  of  land  *  -'  at  the  .said  place 
for  the  Cayugas  to  land  and  encamp  on  and  to  cure  their  Eel."' 
This  reservation  is  the  site  of  this  goodly  village  of  Waterloo. 
Here  was  located  one  of  your  towns  that  was  de.stoyed  by 
vSullivan's  army,  and  the  records  in  some  of  the  officers'  jour- 
]ials  .speak  of  fi.sh  ponds  as  having  been  seen  in  the  river.  On 
the  map  of  the  first  survey  of  one  of  the  towni^hips  joining  the 
river,  these  fi.sh  ponds  are  located  as  Eel  rivers. 

Brothers  of  the  Six  Nations: — Open  your  ears!  On  be- 
half of  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society — on  be- 
half of  this  a.s.semblage  of  ladies  and  gentlemen;  Hywe.saus 
greets  you  with  a  hearty  welcome. 

Brothers — I  have  done. 

Chief  John  Jacket,  Grandson  of  Red  Jacket,  responded 
for  his  nation  in  the  Seneca  tongue,  which  was  interpreted  by 
Chief  Parker.  It  requires  but  one  glance  at  the  kindly  face 
of  the  aged  vSeneca  to  di.scover  in  him  a  strong  family  resem- 
blance to  the  standard  likeness  of  the  famous  orator.  He  is 
of  about  medium  height,  but  as  the  tall  form  of  Chief  Parker 
towered  above  him,  it  gave  him  the  appearance  of  being  short 
of  .stature.  Advancing  .slowly  and  with  dignity,  to  the  front 
of  the  stage,  he  .said: 


17 

CHIEF   jacket's    speech. 

Brothers: — Yoti  will  now  listen  to  me  for  a  few  moments.  It 
was  unexpected  to  me  that  I  should  at  this  time  stand  before  you. 
But  I  am  thankful  that  we  have  met,  through  the  favor  of  the 
Great  Spirit.  We  are  gathered  for  the  purpose  of  unveiling  a 
monument  of  honor  where  my  grandfather  was  born,  nr  in  the 
vicinity  of  this  place  ;  and  through  his  wisdom  you  enjoy  the 
land  with  which  you  are  now  favored.  It  is  very  appropriate 
that  we  have  met ;  and  that  we  thank  one  another  on  this  oc- 
casion ;  because  through  providence  we  have  come  together. 
I  believe  it  is  an  appropriate  object,  which  this  Committee 
(of  the  Historical  Society)  has  executed  in  memory  of  Red 
Jacket,  and  to  show  his  birthplace,  to  all.  You  should  look 
upon  me  not  as  a  man  who  has  prepared  to  stand  before  you 
on  this  occasion.  But  I  consider  it  an  appropriate  thing  that 
the  people  of  your  vicinity  have  raised  up  a  momument  to 
this  great  man.  I  feel  thankful  that  you  have  done  this 
honor.  I  believe  that  you  who  are  living  in  this  place  and 
vicinity  are  satisfied  with  what  you  have;  but  the  Indians  have 
but  little  upon  which  they  can  depend.  We  should  all  be 
thankful  for  to-morrow  (the  unveilmg).  Future  generations 
will  look  upon  it,  for  how  long  a  time  we  don't  know.  This 
is  all  I  have  to  say;  and  I  greet  you  all  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart. 

There  was  generous  applause  at  the  conclusion. 

Chief  John  Buck,  Fire  Keeper  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
the  Custodian  of  the  Wampum  Belts,  the  Records  of  the  Six 
Nations,  was  then  called  upon,  and  spoke  in  the  language  of 
his  nation.  Chief  Styus  acting  as  interpreter,  as  follows  : 

CHIEF   buck's   speech. 

Brothers: — We  are  glad  to  see  so  many  of  you  in  this 
building.  We  are  met  together  in  care  of  the  Great  Spirit,  in 
goodhealth.  We  come  by  invitation  of  the  Waterloo  Library 
and  Historical  Society  for  the  purpose  to  attend  the  unveiling 
of  the  monument  to  the  memory  of  our  great  chieftain.  Red 
Jacket,  tc-morrow,  and  to  present  a  string  of  wampum  to  our 
brother:  so  we  hand  it  to  him.  in  his  hands,  in  behalf  of  his 
people  (  presenting  the  wampum).  This  is  all  we  have  to  day; 
and  we  shall  go  there  (to  Canoga)  to-morrow,  and  we  will  ex- 
pect to  meet  you  there." 

The  string  of  wampum  he  presented   to  the   Society,  on 


IS 

behalf  of  his  people,  was  received  by  Mr.  Conover  in  the  name 
of  the  Society,  and  was  by  him  transferred  to  the  Trustees, 
in  whose  safe  keeping  it  will  ever  remain  a  valued  memento 
of  the  occasion. 

The  Rev.  John  Wentworth  Sanborn,  of  Naples,  N.  Y., 
who  had  spent  many  years  among  the  wSeneca  Indians  as  a 
Missionary,  had  gained  their  love  and  esteem,  had  acquired  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  their  language  and  translated  a 
Hymnal  into  the  vSeneca  language — setting  the  type  and  print- 
ine  the  book  himself — was  then  called  for,  and  eave  an  inter- 
esting  sketch  of  Indian  life  and  character. 

RF.v.  MR.  Sanborn's  address. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Brothers  of  the  vSix  Nations,  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen: — Without  the  slightest  expectation  when  I  came 
here  that  I  should  be  called  upon  for  a  speech,  the  Chairman 
of  this  meeting  has  announced  to  you  that  I  would  speak.  I 
have  not,  therefore,  prepared  a  speech,  but  my  heart  is  full, 
and  with  a  full  heart  one  ought  to  be  able  to  evolve  something 
from  his  brain,  some  sentiments  which  maybe  not  whollv  un- 
interesting to  a  sympathetic,  intelligent  audience  like  this  as- 
sembled before  me  on  this  reception  occasion. 

It  is  an  honor  to  be  called  upon  to  speak  in  this  presence. 
Here  are  the  most  eminent  living  representatives  of  a  very 
remarkable  people. 

These  Chiefs,  my  brothers,  have  come  from  their  various 
tribes  in  Canada  and  in  our  own  coimtry  to  unveil  to-morrow 
the  granite  monument  erected  over  the  birthplace  of  the  great 
statesman  and  orator.  Red  Jacket — a  monument  which  had 
never  existed  but  for  the  wisdom  and  generosity  of  the  Water- 
loo Historical  vSociety. 

Your  name  and  fame  have  gone  abroad  as  the  patrons  of 
aboriginal  discovery.  The  erection  by  you  of  this  beautiful 
hall,  whose  alcoves  are  filed  with  choice  volumes,  and 
whose  shelves  and  walls  and  tables  are  covered  with  relics 
of  the  past,  testifies  to  your  praiseworthy  interest  in  historical 
research. 

If  a  person  incline  to  become  a  bigot,  let  him  study  church 
history  and  it  will  citre  him;  if  any  are  tainted  with  that  in- 
human heresy  that  "the  only  good  Indian  is  a  dead  one"  let 
him  come  in  contact  as  a  helper,  with  the  Indian,  and  deal 
with  him  as  a  humanitarian,  and  his  false  notions  will  be  dis- 


19 

pelled.  and  he  will  come  to  esteem  the  Red  man  as  a  brother. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  an  adopted  Seneca,  and  after  long 
association  with  the  Indians  I  have  comfe  to  love  and  respect 
them,  for  they  are  worthy.  In  extreme  childhood  I  felt  a 
natural  resentment  against  what  I  believed  then  were  false 
statements  about  the  Indians  in  the  histories  and  other  prints. 
My  later  experience  fully  confirms  my  early  convictions.  They 
are  not  the  inhuman  brutes  and  blood  thirsty  savages  that 
history  has  represented  them  to  be.  Historians  have  seen 
them  only  on  the  war  path,  and  have  rarely  exposed  the  in- 
humanities of  the  wdiites  which  drove  them  to  the  war  path. 
In  their  normal  condition  they  are  susceptible,  gentle,  kind 
and  affectionate. 

They  are  said  to  be  incapable  of  the  pas.sion  of  love. 
That  is  not  so.  Anciently  they  were  not  allowed  to  fall  in 
love  because  an  organized  band  of  match-makers  contracted 
all  alliances,  but  were  wisely  held  responsible  for  all  bad  con- 
sequences of  their  matches.  To-day  young  Indians  fall  in 
love  in  good,  old-fashioned  style,  and  I  have  seen  as  genuine 
cases  of  sparking  among  them  as  were  ever  known  among  the 
whites.  In  times  of  bereavement  they  are  a  sympathetic 
people,  and  frequently,  by  voluntary  contributions,  they  help 
a  poor  neighbor  out  of  his  financial  straits. 

It  is  urged  against  the  Indians  that  they  are  superstitious. 
So  are  we.  Even  my  grandfather  would  not  wean  a  calf  w^hen 
the  "  sign  "  was  in  the  head. 

An  Indian  called  me  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony 
for  his  daughter  and  her  lover,  but  postponed  the  affair  be- 
cause the  ""sign  "  happened  to  be  in  the  head,  and  she  would 
be  in  danger  of  talking  too  much;  if  in  her  feet,  she  would  run 
too  much,  but  if  in  her  heart  she  would  stay  at  home  and  care 
for  her  house.  Certain  harmless  superstitions  prevail  among 
them,  and  so  they  do  with  us  pale-faces  as  well.  The  Indians 
are  called  stolid,  are  said  to  be  without  wit  or  humor. 
This  is  a  mistake.  One  of  the  best  practical  jokes  I  was  ever 
the  victim  of  was  played  by  Indians.  Passing  a  field  at  two 
o'clock  one  afternoon,  on  the  reservation,  four  full-growm 
young  men  were  professedly  plowing,  but  at  that  time  were 
lying  in  the  shade  of  an  apple  tree  and  the  horses  were  nod- 
dinof.  Returnino-  three  hours  afterwards,  not  a  furrow  had 
been  plowed,  and  there  was  no  change  of  base.  I  tied  my 
horse,  jumped  the  rail-fence,  started  up  the  team  and,  plowing 
the  remainder  of  the  piece,  returned  to  my  carriage  and  cried 
out:     "  If  you  want  to  accomplish  anything  you  mustn't  spend 


20 

much  time  in  the  shade." 

One  of  the  witty  fellows  bawled  out:  "  Wont  the  mis- 
sionary be  good  enough  to  finish  the  job  by  unhitching  the 
team  ?"  vSince  then  I  have  never  questioned  the  ability  of  an 
Indian  to  take  care  of  himself. 

It  has  been  my  pleasure  to  learn  the  vSeneea  language, 
and  to  make  with  my  own  hands  (doing  both  the  type  setting 
and  printing)  a  Hymn  Book  for  the  'encouragement  of  the  In- 
dians. 

We  are  glad  to  be  with  you  on  this  happy  occasion,  and  to 
enjoy  your  hospitalities,  and  to  unite  with  you  in  performing 
the  ceremonies  of  to-morrow  so  full  of  interest  to  every  friend 
of  the  Indian. 

At  the  close  of  the  remarks  of  Rev.  Mr.  Sanborn  the 
Chairman  called  iipon  lion.  A.  L.  Childs,  who  responded  in 
his  usual  happy  style. 

MR.    cnil.DS'    SI'EKCII. 

Mr.  President,  and  Representatives  of  the  vSenecas: — I 
believe  I  belong  to  the  tribe  of  the  Senecas,  or  am  at  least  en- 
titled to  that  honor.  I  was  born  at  vSeneca  Falls,  and  raised  in 
vSeneca  County.  I  have  waded  in  the  Seneca  River  and  bathed 
in  Seneca  Lake.  I  have  represented  the  Coimty  of  Seneca  in 
the  Legislature  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  am  the  founder 
of  the  Seneca  County  iVews'.  If  this  does  not  substantiate  a 
pretty  good  claim,  I  do  not  know  what  does.  The  ceremonies 
of  to-morrow  in  unveiling  the  monument  erected  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Red  Jacket,  are  in  honor  of  the  great  Chief  of  the 
vSenecas.  He  was  born  in  1750  and  died  in  1830,  having 
reached  the  four  score  years  of  life.  He  was  the  great  Indian 
orator.  The  name  given  to  him  was  the  term  "  He-keeps- 
them-awake."  This,  of  course,  had  its  advantages,  but  doubt- 
less his  wife,  who  had  thirteen  or  fourteen  children,  would 
have  much  preferred  an  orator  like  some  ministers  who  could 
put-them-to-sleep  with  their  talk.  Hence,  we  have  no  doubt 
that  Red  Jacket  met  with  some  opposition  in  his  own  house- 
hold, and  was  not  fully  appreciated  there  for  his  powers  of 
oratory. 

At  the  time  of  the  Declaration  of  Indej^endence  in  1776, 
Red  Jacket  was  26  years  of  age.  He  allied  himself  with  the 
British  at  first,  and  of  course  was  put  down  as  an  enemy  of 
those  who  v^ere  struggling  for  independence.  Later  on,  he 
joined  the  American  forces,  and  was  of  great  service  to  Gen. 


Washington.  For  this  he  was  called  a  wicked  rebel,  and  thus 
poor  Red  Jacket  received  the  fire  of  criticism  from  both  sides. 
Like  many  other  red  men  he  was  misunderstood  and  perse- 
cuted. Gen.  Washington  gave  him  a  medal  which  the  Indian 
('hief  loved  to  wear.  A  British  officer  once  gave  him  a  red 
jacket,  which  he  wore,  and  from  which  he  derived  his  name. 
In  the  present  political  campaign,  some  of  the  supporters 
of  Mr.  Fassett  wear  an  emblem  of  their  loyalty  on  the  lappel 
of  their  coats.  Others  who  support  Mr.  Flower  for  Governor 
wear  conspicuously  in  the  button  hole,  a  flower,  in  honor  of 
their  candidate.  One  would  think  that  on  an  occasion  like  this 
that  there  would  be  a  profusion  of  red  jackets  among  the 
ladies  and  gentlemen.  But  not  so.  The  sentiment  is  far 
deeper  and  more  lasting  than  a  temporary  campaign.  In 
the  memory  of  the  early  inhabitants  of  the  beautiful  country 
that  we  now  occupy,  there  is  a  kind  and  sympathetic  feel- 
ing. This  beautiful  Historical  Society  building  is  erected, 
and  the  as.sociation  itself  is  established  to  rescue  from  oblivion 
the  history  of  the  Indian  race.  The  facts  and  incidents  of 
early  history  are  treasured,  and  the  relics  of  the  past  are 
preserved  by  this  dear  old  Historical  vSociety  for  future 
generations  to  enjoy.  We  may  erect  monuments  of  maible 
and  granite  and  bronze,  but  time  will  do  its  work  in  crumbling 
them  away.  Already  there  are  monuments  to  the  glory  of  the 
departed  Indians,  in  the  names  of  the  beautiful  lakes  and 
rivers  and  counties  of  this  region.  In  all  the  forty-four  vStates 
of  our  great  United  vStates  of  America,  only  one  bears  the 
name  of  Washington,  the  father  of  his  country.  Only  one 
District  is  named  Columbia,  in  honor  of  the  discoverer  of 
America,  Christopher  Columbus.  But  the  names  of  Canan- 
daigua  and  Seneca  and  Cayuga  and  Onondaga  and  Oneida, 
with  others,  are  the  proud,  beautiful  and  everlasting  monu- 
ments to  the  memory  of  the  departed.  The  mind  is  carried 
back  to  the  tribes  who  occupied  these  places  when  the  names 
are  mentioned.  History  will  do  justice  to  the  character  of 
the  Indians.  Their  many  noble  traits  of  manhood  shall  not 
be  obscured;  and  their  sufferings  and  wrongs  shall  not  be 
forgotten.  Our  hearts  go  out  to  the  representatives  of  these 
tribes  who  are  with  us  to-night,  and  we  extend  to  them  a  warm 
hospitality  and  welcome.  We  are  glad  to  meet  them,  and  to 
hear  thern  speak.  Poor  Red  Jacket,  with  the  light  he  had, 
and  with  the  advantages  he  possessed,  was  a  great  man, 
worthy  of  the  monument  and  the  respect  paid  to  his  memory. 
He  exhibited  the  elements  of  manhood  that  marked   him  as  a 


22 


man  with  a  heart  and  an  intellect  that  entitled  him  to  a  place 
in  history  as  a  nc^ble  representative  of  his  race. 

When  Jefferson  and  his  associates  were  penning  the 
memorable  document  that  announced  that  "all  men  are  cre- 
ated equal,  with  the  inalienable  rig-hts  of  life,  liberty  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness,"  away  across  the  great  waters  in  vScot- 
land  there  was  a  plow-boy  following  the  furrow.  While  he 
stopped  plowing- to  give  his  horses  a  j^est,  he  wrote  poems  on 
scraps  of  paper,  and  penned  the  lines  "  The  rank  is  but  the 
guinea's  stamp;  the  man's  the  gold  for  a'  that,"  and  "a  man's 
a  man  for  a'  that."  Just  as  the  little  dew  drop  reflects  the 
glory  of  the  stars  in  heaven,  so  the  songs  of  Robert  Burns 
echoed  the  same  sentiments  that  the  great  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence announced.  While  the  works  of  Bacon  and  New- 
ton, Blackstone  and  others  slumber  on  the  shelf,  the  volume 
of  Burns'  poems  is  read  and  quoted  the  world  over.  Just  as 
the  temple  may  crumble  away,  and  the  perrenial  flower  will 
come  up  among  the  ruins,  so  the  sweet  songs  of  Burns  are  new 
and  fresh  and  fragrant,  while  more  profound  and  scientific  re- 
searches pass  away.  So  the  memorv  of  good  deedvS,  and  of 
manhood,  and  the  heartfelt  sympathy  for  the  meek  and  lone- 
ly will  always  live.  Future  generations  will  rise  up  to  do 
honor  and  justice  to  those  who  thus  deserve  the  same.  The 
monument  to  be  unveiled  to-morrow  was  erected  through  the 
efforts  of  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society  and  its 
friends.  It  is  a  beautiful  and  appropriate  work  of  art.  The 
bright  October  rays  of  to-morrow's  sun  will  kiss  the  monu- 
ment as  the  veil  is  removed,  in  memory  of  the  noble  Indian 
chieftain  and  orator.  The  good  work  of  this  Society  will  be 
perpetuated,  and  the  names  of  its  founders  who  have  passed 
away  will  not  be  forgotten.  We  hope  to  meet  you  all  at  the 
interesting  ceremonies  at  Canoga  to-morrow.  There  will  be 
many  present  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  red  men 
will  take  part;  and  the  gifted  gentleman  from  Buffalo  will 
favor  us  with  an  address.  The  monument  will  last  for  mar.f- 
years,  and  keep  alive  the  memory  of  the  red  men,  and  of  him 
who  "  keeps  them  awake  "  by  his  eloquence.  Long  after  we 
have  all  passed  away;  long  after  the  last  remnant  of  the  In- 
dian race  is  known  only  in  history,  this  monument  will  re- 
main. When  its  inscription  is  moss-covered  with  age,  the 
hand  of  some  future  historian  will  bring  the  words  to  light, 
to  revive  the  recollection  of  the  Indians,  the  Waterloo  Histori- 
cal Society,  the  reception  of  this  evening,  and  the  interesting 
ceremonies  of  to-morrow. 


23 

At  the  close  of  Mr.  Childs'  address  the  audience  were  in- 
vited into  the  Reception  room,  where  an  opportunity  would 
be  offered  to  all  to  shake  hands  with  the  Indian  delegation. 

The  Library  and  Reception .  rooms,  tastefully  decorated 
by  the  ladies  for  the  occasion,  and  presenting  a  beautiful  ap- 
pearance, were  thrown  open  to  the  throng,  thus  affording  ample 
opportunity  for  all  present  to  take  by  the  hand  the  distin- 
guished guests.  For  more  than  an  hour  the  Chiefs — many  of 
them  the  descendants  of  a  long  line  of  chiefs — received  the 
greetings  of  the  large  company  assembled  to  do  them  honor. 

They  were  a  fine  body  of  men,  and  their  gentlemanly 
appearance  and  dignified  bearing  was  universally  commented 
upon. 

It  was  a  rare  occasion,  and  will  ever  be  remembered  with 
pleasure  by  all  who  were  present.  The  venerable  chief,  John 
Jacket,  and  the  pretty  little  Indian  maiden,  Bethia  May  Par- 
ker, were  objects  of  special  interest. 


24 


THE  DAY. 


THE  TWO  COUNCILS. 


It  was  a  bright  autumnal  morning  that  ushered  in  the  clay 
of  the  unveiling  of  the  Red  Jacket  monument.  By  an  under- 
standing .entered  into  the  night  before,  the  Indians  met  in 
Council  at  the  reception  room  of  the  Library  building  to  de- 
cide upon  the  Indian  ceremonies  at  Canoga.  At  the  ap- 
pointed hour  they  came  and,  seating  themselves  in  a  circle,  an 
earnest,  dignified  and  animated  discussion,  carried  on  entirely 
in  their  own  language,  ensued,  resulting  in  a  harmonious  and 
satisfactory  conclusion.  After  a  visit  to  the  photograph  gal- 
lery of  W.  C.  Davis,  where  good  groups  of  both  Cattaraugus 
and  Canada  delegations  were  obtained,  the  Indians,  by  invita- 
tion of  Hon.  A.  M.  Patterson,  visited  the  Woolen  Mills,  and, 
after  a  thorough  inspection  of  the  establishment,  with  whicli 
they  expressed  them.selves  extremely  gratified,  they  were  each 
presented  by  Mr.  Patterson  with  a  fine  woolen  shawl,  and  in 
turn  a  brief  Indian  Council  was  held,  and  Mr.  Patterson  was 
made  a  Seneca,  by  adoption  into  the  family  of  C.  C.  Lay,  U. 
vS.  interpreter,  and  was  presented  with  a  new  name,  Ho-do-na- 
dioh,  [Kind  Hearted.] 

At  one  o'clock,  p.  m.,  the  procession  of  twenty  carriages, 
containing  invited  guests,  the  Indian  delegations.  Trustees  of 
the  Historical  Society  and  others,  started  for  the  monument 
grounds. 

The  route  through  the  beautiful  farming  lands  of  Fayette 
was  practically  that  taken  by  Col.  Dearborn  with  his  detach- 
ment in  1779  and  coincided  nearly  with  the  Indian  trail  be- 
tween Skoi-yase  and  Ge-no-geh. 

The  many  wagons  observed  on  the  way  headed  toward 
Canoga,  and  the  road  lined  on  both  sides  with  all  sorts  of 
vehicles  fastened  to  the  fences,  while  yet  half  a  mile  distant 


from  the  monument,  gave  unmistakable  evidence  of  the 
crowd  which  awaited  the  coming  of  the  procession.  Arriving 
at  the  grounds,  after  much  delay  the  grand  stand  was  reached, 
and  the  Indians  and  other  guests  seated.  An  interesting 
spectacle  was  presented  to  the  view — the  grand  stand  with  the 
group  of  Indians  in  their  strange  costumes,  the  vast  throng 
of  many  thousands,  the  veiled  monument,  the  fine  equipages, 
the  bright  dresses  of  the  ladies,  the  curving  road  packed  with 
carriages,  the  ideal  October  day,  the  environments  of  hill  and 
dale  and  massive  forest  trees  with  beautifully  tinted  leaves, 
contributed  to  form  a  scene  of  rare  beauty. 

EXERCISES. 

The  as.semblage  having  been  called  to  order  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society,  a  prayer  was  offered  by  Rkv.  Wm.  S. 
Carter,  of  Waterloo,  in  the  words  following: 

PRAYER. 

Almighty  and  ever  blessed  God,  it  is  right  and  pleasant  to 
celebrate  Thee  in  all  places  of  Thy  dominion.  Thou  only  art 
infinite,  eternal  and  unchangeable.  Thou  alone  art  Lord  of 
life  and  blessing.  Without  Thee  there  availeth  neither  wis- 
dom or  power,  genius  or  beneficence.  In  Thine  hand  it  is 
to  make  great  and  give  strength  unto  all.  And  unto  Thee 
shall  all  iiesh  come.  Quicken  the  day,  iVlmighty  God,  when 
all  shall  know  Thee  from  the  least  unto  the  greatest,  when 
the  people  of  every  name  and  nation  shall  own  Thy  sovereign 
power  and  sovereign  love,  and  crown  Thee  Lord  of  all.  Now, 
therefore,  our  God,  we  thank  Thee  for  the  radiance  and  favor- 
able circumstances  of  this  day.  Be  pleased  to  sanctify  the  service 
of  this  occasion.  Let  Thy  blessing,  wc  beseech  Thee,  rest  upon 
the  benefactress,  throuo-h  whose  thouQ^htful  and  efficient  love 
we  have  reason  for  this  coming  together.  Let  thy  blessing 
rest  upon  the  Society  under  whose  auspices  we  have  met,  and 
upon  those  who  shall  speak  to  us.  Tenderly  regard  the  little 
one  who  shall  unveil  for  us  the  monument,  which  here  shall 
be,  at  once,  a  symbol  of  man's  helplessness  before  the  force  of 
Thy  laws,  and  memorial  of  the  sagacity,  eloquence  and  moral 
courage  of  one  whom  Thou  didst  permit  to  live  only  in  the 
glimmerings  of  that  light  which  we  enjoy — who,  through  all 


26 

his  faults,  hated  not  the  truth,  but  its  perversions.  Let  Thy 
blessing-  rest  upon  the  representatives  of  those  who  one'e 
owned  and  roamed  this  land,  in  whose  history  Thou  hast  re- 
vealed the  foree  of  physieal  and  moral  progress,  and  the  ra- 
paeity  and  cruelty  of  selfish  man.  May  these  representatives 
of  the  Indians  return  safely  to  their  people  with  the  assur- 
ances of  our  kindly  regard  and  the  evidences  of  Thy  grace. 
And  finally,  O  God,  grant  unto  us  all  assembled  here  this  day 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  the  praise  of  Thy  glory,  through 
Jesus  our  Lord.     Amen. 

The  welcoming  address  by  Hon.  A.  L.  Childs,  of  Roches- 
ter, followed: 

MR.  childs'    ADDKLSS    ()!•    WKLCOMK. 

]\Ir.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: — The  pleasant  task 
is  assigned  to  me  to  speak  a  few  words  of  welcome  to  you  all. 
In  behalf  of  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society,  I 
am  authorized  to  say  that  they  are  very  much  pleased  at  your 
attendance  here  to-day.  Through  the  efforts  of  this  Society, 
is  erected  in  this  beautiful  place,  this  splendid  monument  to 
the  memory  of  the  Indian  Chief  and  oiator.  Red  Jacket.  Un- 
der its  auspices  the  ceremonies  '  of  unveiling  this 
monument  are  held.  The  Society  is  doing  a  great 
work  in  rescuing  from  oblivion  the  facts  and  incidents  con- 
nected  with  ths  early  history  of  the  country  we  now  occupy. 
We  have  with  us  here  the  living  representatives  of  the  Indian 
tribes  Avhose  forefathers  owned  and  occupied  the  fair  land  that 
is  spread  out  before  us.  They  wull  speak  to  us  in  their  native 
tongue,  and  the  interpreter  will  give  us  their  utterances  in 
our  own  language,  that  we  mav  understand  them.  We  wel- 
come them  most  cordially  to  this  beautiful  land  between  the 
lakes.  We  hope  their  visit  will  be  a  happy  one,  and  we  trust 
that  nothing  will  occur  to  mar  their  eniovment.  You  have 
come,  my  friends,  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  witness  the 
proceedings  here. 

History  has  too  often  painted  the  red  man  as  a  fieTC3  and 
furious  monster,  with  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife,  for- 
getting some  of  the  noble  qualities  of  his  nature.  His  man- 
hood, his  genero.sity,  his  lasting  gratitude,  his  nobilit}'.  his 
love,  and  his  child-like  faith  in  the  Great  Spirit  are  too  often 
left  in  the  background.  History  comes  with  tardy  step  to  do 
justice  to  the  character  of  the  sons  of  the  forest,  but  this  mon- 
ument is  one  move  in  that  direction.  It  will  be  followed  by 
others  until  the  full  measure  of  justice  is  complete. 


27 

Near  this  spot  was  Red  Jacket  born.  His  burning  words 
of  eloquence  were  heard  and  felt  throughout  this  country. 
His  voice  is  silent;  he  has  joined  the  throng  in  the  Spirit  land. 
He  died  more  than  sixty  years  ago.  The  voice  that  "  kept- 
them-awake  "  is  now  hushed  forever,  but  the  ringing  words  of 
Red  Jacket  are  still  heard,  and  treasured  by  the  remnant  of 
Indian  tribes  that  are  left,  and  by  the  pale  face  sons  and 
daughters  of  this  region.  Red  Jacket  was  a  noble  specimen 
and  representative  of  the  red  men.  He  was  loyal  to  his  peo- 
ple, and  true  to  their  interests.  When  it  was  manifest  to  him» 
that  the  white  men  were  doing  an  injustice  to  the  Indians,  he 
was  orator,  warrior  and  chief  for  those  of  his  own  blood.  But 
in  time  of  peace,  when  he  was  assured  that  the  pale  face  brother 
was  indeed  his  brother  and  friend,  his  great  heart  warmed  to- 
wards them  all,  and  his  nobility  was  seen. 

His  childhood  was  passed  here.  He  hunted  in  the  woods 
where  now  we  see  the  farms  and  homes  before  us.  He  fished 
and  bathed  in  the  waters  of  yonder  lake.  He  had  a  different 
name  then.  Later  in  life,  a  British  officer  gave  him  a  red  coat 
which  he  loved  to  wear.  From  this  he  received  the  name  of 
Red  Jacket.  By  this  name  is  he  known  in  history.  He  had 
his  jcys  and  his  sorrows.  Once  when  the  ravages  of  disease 
carried  off  eio'ht  or  ten  of  his  children  he  exclaimed  :  "  The 
Great  Spirit  is  angry  with  Red  Jacket  for  drinking  the  white 
man's  fire-water."  He  believed"  in  the  rulings  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  at  eighty  years  of  age,  when  he  laid  down  to  die, 
he  believed  his  spirit  was  going  to  the  happy  hunting- 
ground.  Measured  by  the  rule  of  revelation  of  to-day,  he  was 
faulty.  But  considering  his  associations,  surroundings,  race 
and  education,  he  towered  above  the  average  of  his  kind,  as 
the  granite  monument  we  unveil  to-day.  He  was  a  child  of 
Nature.  If  ever  we  can  look  through  Nature  up  to  Nature's 
(jod,  it  is  in  the  abundant  harvest  and  beautiful  Providence 
that  crown  this  year  of  plenty.  If  ever  the  gifts  of  Nature 
contribute  to  the  memory  of  the  departed  Chief,  it  is  now. 
The  names  of  the  lakes  and  rivers  and  counties  bear  testimony 
to  the  tribes  that  have  passed  away.  The  waves  of  old  Seneca, 
on  our  sunset  side,  waft  their  praises  to  the  name  of  Red 
Jacket.  The  waters  of  old  Cayuga,  on  the  east,  murmur  their 
requiem  to  his  memory.  Along  the  shores  are  heard  the  sobs, 
and  through  the  ravines  the  winds  are  sighing,  for  the  Chief- 
tain is  no  more,  and  the  tribes  of  the  noble  red  men  are  dwin- 
dled to  a  handful. 

My  friends,  you  all  are  welcome.  In  the  name  of  the 
Historical  Society;  in  the  name  of  the  children  of  the  forest; 


2.S 

in  the  name  of  all  who  love  the  relies  and  remnants  of  the 
past;  in  the  name  of  all  who  revere  the  memory  of  those  who 
have  g'one  before,  we  bid  yoa  a  most  hearty  weleome  to  the 
ceremonies  in  honor  of  the  great  ehieftain  and  orator  whose 
monument  we  are  about  to  unveil  and  present  to  your  gaze. 

The  President  then  introdueed  Mr.  (aeorge  S.  Conover,  of 
Geneva,  N.  Y.,as  one  admirably  qualified  to  present  the  proofs 
to  substantiate  the  elaim  made  by  the  Historical  vSoeiety  that 
Canoga  was  the  birthplace  of  Red  Jacket.  Mr.  Conover  had 
made  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  subject,  and  the  evidence 
obtained  and  the  conclusion  reached,  were  embodied  ])v  him 
in  an  excellent  nionograph  published  by  the  Society  in    1.SS4. 

MR.  c;()X()\:i:r's  addkkss. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  — It  is  a  great  gratificaticm  to  me 
to  be  present  with  you  to-day,  as  I  am  not  only  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  occasion  that  brings  us  together,  but  having  been 
a  resident  of  Central  vSeneca  Covmty  during  the  best  twenty 
years  of  my  life,  it  is  like  a  home  coming  to  me,  as  I  am  en- 
abled to  greet  so  many  of  my  old  friends  and  neighbors. 

The  ceremonies  of  this  day,  attendant  upon  the  completion 
of  this  fine  monument,  erected  as  a  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
Sagoyewatha  or  Red  Jacket,  very  near  the  spot  where  that 
great  native  orator  was  born — erected  through  the  generosity 
of  a  stranger  whose  name,  by  peremptory  orders  is  withheld, 
and  whose  noble,  unsolicited  genero.sity  has  enabled  the 
Waterloo  Library  and  Hist>.)ric?l  vSociety  to  carry  the  enter- 
prise to  its  completion  -are  marred  by  one  sad  thought. 
Deeply  do  we  mivSS  the  presence  of  one  who,  if  living  to-day- 
would  be  here  with  an  overflowing  heart  of  gladness  at  tlie 
consummation  of  his  earnest  longing  for  a  monument  at  Red 
Jacket's  birthplace.  But  noble,  liberal  minded,  generous 
hearted  Fred  H.  Furniss  is  no  more;  and  we  can  but  drop  a 
tear  and  add  a  brief  tribute  to  his  memory. 

The  Hon.  Lewis  H.  Morgan,  LL.D.,  in  his  "  League  of  the 
Iroquois,"  published  in  1851,  a  work  which  has  become  an  ac- 
knowledged authority,  states  in  the  most  positive  terms  that 
Red  Jacket  was  born  near  Canoga,  and  in  a  letter  written  in 
1878,  states  that  the  Seneca  Indians  always  told  him  that  their 
most  famous  orator  was  born  there. 

In  the  spring  of  1829  Red  Jacket  stopped  over  night  at 
Waterloo  en  route  to  \Vashington.     Before  leaving  Waterloo 


29 

he  made  a  short  speech  in  front  of  the  hotel,  in  which  he  made 
this  declaration  :  "  I  was  born  over  there  by  the  big  spring," 
pointing-  at  the  same  time  in  the  direction  of  Canoga.  Col.  H. 
F.  Gustin  and  John  C.  Watkins.  both  late  of  Waterloo,  listened 
to  Red  Jacket's  remarks  on  this  occasion,  and  gave  substan- 
tially the  same  words  as  coming  from  him  in  regard  to  his 
birthplace. 

Garry  V.  Sackett,  of  vSeneca  Falls,  a  life-long  friend  of 
Governor  Seward,  had  a  personal  acquaintance  with  Red  Jacket, 
and  at  Judge  Sackett's  request  Red  Jacket  pointed  out  to  him 
the  spot  where  he  was  born  near  Canoga;  and  subsequentlv 
Judge  Sackett  purchased  the  ground,  and  declared  his  inten- 
tion to  some  day  erect  a  monument  the];e  in  honor  of  the  il- 
lustrious Old  Chief. 

Wm.  H.  Bogart,  of  Aurora,  in  his  book  of  personal  recol- 
lections and  reminiscences  entitled,  "  Who  Go2S  There,"  re- 
lates that  Judge  vSackett  told  him  that  when  I^ed  jacket  was 
questioned  as  to  his  birthplace,  he  would  answer,  "One,  two, 
three,  four  above  John  Harris'  ,".bv  which  he-intended  to  .-aw 
four  miles  above  the  ferry  house  of  John  Harris,  who  kept  a 
ferry  at  the  foot  of  Cayuga  Lake,  where  the  famr.us  old  bridge 
stood. 

George  B.  Matthews,  of  Canoga,  who  had  spent  seventy 
five  years  of  his  life  near  this  point,  informed  the  committee 
t  lat  he  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  location  marked  by 
Judge  vSackett,  and,  in  company  with  the  Hon.  Diedrich  Wil- 
iers,  he  directed  our  party  to  the  spot.  It  is  about  sixty  rods 
northeast  from  the  grist  mill  on  the  banks  of  the  creek  empty- 
ing into  the  Lake,  and  some  rods  west  of  the  site  of  the  In- 
dian town.  The  wigwain  in  which  Red  Jacket  was  born,  ac- 
cording to  Judge  vSackett,  stood  directly  beneath  a  svcamore 
tree,  and  was  also  sheltered  by  the  tendrils  of  a  wild  grape 
vine.  Mr.  Matthews  stated  that  before  Judge  Sackett's  death 
some  unknown  party  set  fire  to  the  sycamore  tree  and  burned 
it  to  the  ground.  Mr.  vSackett  offered  a  reward  of  $500  for  in- 
formation leading  to  the  discovery  of  the  party  causing  its  de- 
struction. A  wild  grape  vine  thrives  there  to-day,  an  offshocjt 
of  the  original  which  sheltered  the  wigwam  in  which  Red 
Jacket  was  born. 

Henry  R.  vSchoolcraft,  the  well  known  Indian  historian, 
in  his  I'eport  to  the  vSecretary  of  vState,  'being  his  "  Notes  on 
the  Iroquois,"  on  page  2 15,  under  date  of  Aurora,  August  1845, 
amonof  other  memorandums,  uses  the  foUowiiio-  laneuaee:  "Red 
Jacket  was  born  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Lake  at  Canoga." 

Rev.  David  Craft,  in   the  historical  address  delivered^  bv 


him  at  Waterloo  on  the  occasion  of  the  celebration  of  the  cen- 
tennial of  wSullivan's  campaio-n,  alluding  to  ('anoga,  says,  "  It 
may  be  allowed  me  to  say  that  as  the  birthplace  of  Red 
Jacket  the  great  Iroquois  orator,  this  point  (Canoga)  must 
possess  peculiar  interest  to  the  antiquarian  and  the  student  of 
Indian  history." 

The  foregoing  is  very  positive,  and  in  ordinary  cases 
would  be  entirely  conclusive,  that  Canoga  was  the  birthplace 
of  Red  Jacket.  Fortunately  there  is' additional  and  mo.st  con- 
clusive testimony. 

In  the  spring  of  1821  an  Indian  woman,  accused  of  being 
a  witch,  was  tried  by  the  Indians,  convicted  and  condemned  to 
death.  A  Seneca  Chief,  Tommy  Jemmy,  carried  out  the  exe- 
cuti'm  by  cutting  her  throat.  For  this  he  was  arrested  and 
tried  at  Buffalo,  and  many  of  the  leading  vSencca  Chiefs,  in- 
cluding Red  Jacket,  were  examined  as  witnesses.  In  the 
course  of  his  direct  examination  Red  Jacket  was  asked,  "How 
old  are  you  ?  "  Answer — I  don't  know,  but  my  mother  told 
me  that  when  Fort  Niagara  was  captured  from  the  French  by 
the  British  I  was  just  big  enough  to  crawl  around  the  floor." 
-::-  -;v-  -::-  ]-^g  2^;[gQ  Stated  at  the  same  time,  and  on  the  same 
authority,  that  he  was  born  at  Canoga,  on  the  west  bank  of 
Cayuga  lake,  where  his  parents  were  encamped  on  a  fish- 
ing excursion." 

Surely  this  testimony  as  to  his  birthplace  is  strong 
enough  to  convince  even  'the  most  prejudiced  mind.  Here 
was  Red  Jacket,  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  excitement  that 
existed  among  his  people,  calm,  cool  and  collected,  and  acting 
with  so  much  caution  as  to  be  war}^  in  his  answers  to  tlie 
questions  that  were  put  to  him.  to  such  a  degree  that  not  the 
slightest  advantage  could  be  taken  of  him  to  the  discredit  of 
his  evidence.  He  was  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  mind,  with  all 
his  senses  acute  to  every  turn  of  the  trial;  and  at  no  time  of 
his  life  could  he  have  been  more  himself  than  he  was  on  this 
occasion. 

Drake  says:  "Before  Red  Jacket  was  admitted  to  give 
evidence  in  the  case  he  was  asked  if  he  believed  in  future  re- 
wards and  punishments  and  the  existence  of  a  God.  With  a 
piercing  look  into  the  face  of  his  interrogator,  and  with  no  little 
indignation  of  expression  he  replied:  "  Ves,  much  more  than 
the  white  men  if  we  are  to  judge  by  their  actions."  On  his 
cross-examination  he  was  asked  what  rank  he  held  in  the  na- 
tion, and,  says  Col.  vStone  "  he  answered  with  a  contemptous 
sneer,"  "Look  at  the  papers  which  the  wliite  people   keep  the 


31 

most  carefully,  (meaning  the  treatie.-;  ceding  their  land  5,)  they 
will  tell  you  what  I  am.  Daring  the  cour.i^  of  the  trial,  while 
yet  on  tlie  witness  stand  perceiving  that  tlie  subject  of  witch- 
craft was  being  ridiculed,  he  suddenly  said  :  "  What !  do  you 
denounce  us  as  fools  and  bigots  because  we  still  believe  that 
which  vou  yourselves  believed  two  centuries  ago?  Your 
black  coats  thundered  this  doctrine  from  the  pulpit,  your 
judges  pronounced  it  from  the  bench  and  sanctioned  it  with 
the  formalities  of  law,  and  you  would  now  punish  our  unfor- 
tunate brother  for  adhering  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers  and 
vours.  Go  to  Salem,  look  at  the  records  of  your  own  govern- 
ment, and  you  will  find  that  hundreds  have  been  executed 
for  the  very  crime  which  has  called  forth  the  sentence  of  con- 
demnation against  this  woman,  and  drawn  down  upon  her 
the  arm  of  vengeance.  What  have  our  brothers  done  more 
tlian  the  rulers  of  your  people  have  done,  and  what  crime  has 
this  man  committed  by  executing  in  a  summary  way  the  laws- 
of  his  country  and  the  command  of  the  Great  Spirit." 

"  The  appearance  of  Red  Jacket,"  says  Col.  Stone,  wdien 
delivering  this  sarcastic  Philipic,  "  w^as  noted  as  remarkable, 
even  for  him."  When  fired  with  indignation  the  expression 
of  his  eve  was  terrible,  and  when  he  chose  to  display  his 
powers  of  irony,  wdiich  were  rarely  excelled,  the  aspect  of  his 
keen,  sarcastic  glance  was  irresistible. 

Inasmuch  as  Red  Jacket's  father  was  a  Cayuga,  (although, 
according  to  Indian  custom,  he  derived  his  rank  as  a  Seneca, 
of  the  wolf  clan,  from  his  mother),  it  is  very  natural  that  his 
parents  should  be  at  the  fishing  grounds  of  the  Cayugas,  at 
Canoga,  a  t  that  time. 

The  oration  by  Hon.  AV.  C.  Br3'ant,  of  Buffalo;  a  scholar- 
Iv  production,  masterly  in  its  grasp  and  sympathetic  in  its 
treatment  of  the  subject  followed.  Its  publication  will  be 
cordially  welcomed  by  literary  men  as  a  valuable  contribu- 
tion to  Indian  literature. 


32 


\\    WILLIAM    c.    i;R\A.\r 


jMr.  President,  Ladies  and  (xentlemen: — The  history  of 
any  country,  discovered  and  settled  by  Arj-an  peoples,  would 
he  incomplete  without  some  account  of  the  indigenous  races 
whom  they  met  and  displaced,  Fortunately,  so  far  as  our 
own  continent  is  concerned,  the  materials  for  writino;  that 
interesting  and  pathetic  chapter  are  copious,  and  readily  ac- 
cessible. It  may  be  doubted,  however,  whether  the  historian 
himself  is  yet  vSufhciently  projected  out  of  the  distorting  mists 
of  prejudice  and  passion,  which  the  struggle  engendered,  to 
do  justice  to  the  untutored  natives  who  can  furnisli  no  chron- 
iclers of  their  own  to  record  their  wrongs,  celebrate  their 
virtues,  and  lament  their  cruel  fate. 

In  New  England,  despite  the  kindly  reception  accorded 
the  Pilgrim  fathers  by  the  red  men,  the  latter  soon  grew  to 
be  regarded  by  the  growing  colonists  as  heathen  outcasts,  de- 
servinof  no  kinder  consideration  than  that  which  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  Canaan  received  at  the  hands  of  the  followers 
of  Joshua.  At  the  close  of  a  bloody  and  lurid  revolt,  in  which 
their  council  fires  were  quenched  in  blood,  their  cabins  con- 
verted into  funeral  pyres,  the  wife  and  children  of  their 
slain  Sachem,  King  Philip,  were  transported  and  sold  as 
slaves  to  the  West  Indies. 

Everywhere  the  same  pitiful  story  is  rehearsed.  The 
scene  of  the  event  is  a  majestic  and  shadowy  land  in  the  new 
world,  the  heritaofe  of  a  native  race  of  hunters  and  fishermen 
who  are  but  little  advanced  beyond  the  stone  age. 

Acute  of  intellect,  symmetrical  in  form,  and  lofl\-  in 
mien,  beyond  most  savages,  it  wT)uld  seem  that  there  was  re- 
served for  them,  in  God's  good  time,  a  happy  and  prosperous 
career  amonu"  the  enlightened  nations  of  the  earth.  But 
that  was  not  to  be.  Pale  men,  feeble  in  number,  and  fleeing 
from  religious  oppression  in  their  native  land,  across  the 
great  waters,  seek  and  arc  granted   an    asylum    among  these 


3} 

generous  barbarians,  and  the  new  land  seems  by  common 
consent  consecrated  to  holy  freedom  and  brotherly  love. 

Soon,  as  the  intruders  wax  strong-  and  grow  covetous, 
thev  do  not  disguise  their  contempt  for  their  savage  neigh- 
bors and  begin  to  regard  them  in  the  light  of  an  obstruction 
or  nuisance.  Wanton  insults  and  injustice  follow,  and  are 
met  in  return  by  violent  acts  of  reprisal.  A  bloody  revolt 
ensues,  certain  to  be  stamped  out  by  the  well  armed  borderers 
with  pitiless  severity.  A  desperate  war  succeeds.  It  can 
have  but  one  issue  for  the  red  men.  The  survivors,  a  peeled 
and  shattered  people,  are  driven  from  their  ancestral  seats  in- 
to distant  wilds,  which,  ultimately,  as  the  pale  face  settlements 
expand,  furnish  a  theatre  for  a  like  dismal  tragedy.  The 
poor  Indians  needed  Christian,  or  humane  treatment,  wise 
tutelage,  gentleness,  kindness,  justice.  All  these  were  denied 
them;  so  the  path  of  the  hunted  red  men  across  the  continent 
was  sprinkled  with  tears  and  crimsoned  with  blood. 

The  opening  chapter  in  the  history  of  our  new  world 
communities  is  mainly  confined  to  a  recital  of  the  frenzied 
efforts  of  the  brave,  but  ill  armed  Indians,  to  preserve  their 
ancient  inheritance.  With  grim  irony,  the  early  white  his- 
torians strive  to  heap  upon  the  victims  of  their  cupidity,  every 
species  of  ignominy,  while  lauding  unstintedly  their  own 
patriotic  and  Christian  valor. 

So  far  as  the  average  families,  or  tribes  of  the  red  men 
can  be  said  to  have  left  their  impress  upon  the  future,  or  des- 
tinv  of  the  colonies,  little  more  may  be  added;  unless  the  bit- 
ter curse  which  the  survivors  hurled  behind  them,  in  their 
flight,  shall  eventually  blight  the  land  which  witnessed  their 
humiliation  and  despair. 

But  one  exception  to  this  wide  generalization  is  to  be 
not  2d,  and  that  instance  refers  to  the  confederacy  of  the  Iro- 
quois, or  Five  Nations.  Let  us  give  a  brief  glance  at  this 
rude  buthi.storic  race,  its  origin  and  genius,  and  what  it  did 
to  stamp  the  plastic  material  of  what  was  to  become  the  ma- 
jestic empire  of  the  new  world;  in  which,  however,  thee 
gifted  barbarians  were  doomed  to  share  no  portion,  either  of 
substantial  weal,  or  evanescent  glory. 

An  unlettered  people,  the  Iroquois  had  no  annals.  Only 
by  the  dim  light  of  tradition, — tales  repeated  over  their 
cabin  fires  through  unnumbered  generations. — can  we  gather, 
though  dimly,  the  salient  points  of  their  ante-Columbian  his- 
torv.     Some  hundreds  of  vears  ago,  before  tlie  white  winircd 


34 

bark  of  the  renowned  Genoese  was  deseried  on  the  horizon  (jf 
the  Atlantic,  a  little  native  band  of  stranj^e  and  unknown 
stock,  dwelt  near  the  present  sites  of  Quebec  and  ^Montreal, 
surrounded  far  and  wide  by  Alo-onquin  tribes  with  whom 
they  were  in  a  clironie  state  of  irritation.  At  that  time  they 
were  but  one  feeble  nation,  and  may  be  designated  as  the 
Huron,  or  Huron-Iroquois  family.  In  course  of  time  they  in- 
creased in  numbers  until  they  aroused  the  jealousy  of  the 
surrounding  tribes.  A  struggle  ensued,  characterized  bv  the 
usual  ruthlessness  of  Indian  contests,  and  which  resulted  in 
the  discomfiture  and  expulsion  of  the  Hurons.  The  sur- 
vivors, to  escape  extermination,  fled  in  their  birchen  canoes; 
ascending  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Lake  Ontario,  and  coasting  its 
eastern  shore  to  the  mouth  of  the  Oswego  river,  thev  entered, 
through  this  channel,  the  central  parts  of  New  York.  Here, 
for  a, time,  the  wanderers  found  repose  and  an  opportunity  to 
recuperate.  They  increased;  and  from  the  parent  tribe  sent 
forth  new^  sw^arms,  the  nuclei  of  independent  though  kindred 
nations,  afterwards  to  be  known  by  the  French  sobriquet,  the 
Iroquois,  and  by  the  English,  the  Five  Nations. '- 

The  immigrants,  w4th  an  Indian's  keen  sense  of  the 
bounties  of  nature,  apportioned  among  the  nascent  tribes 
of  Mohawks,  Onondagas,  and  Senecas,  and  their  budding  off- 
shoots, the  Oneidas  and  Cayugas,  broad  belts  of  fertile  terri- 
tory, spangled  with  crystal  lakes  and  embroidered,  and  inter- 
woven wnth  laughing  streams,  which  led  to  the  heart  of  a  con- 
tinent.  These  shaded  and  full  brimmed  rivers  murmured  a 
prophesy  of  future  conquest  and  glory  to  the  exiled  and 
brooding  w-arriors. 

In  time,  separations  produced  estrangement  and  mutual 
jealousies.  The  different  cantons  were  not  onlv  at  war  with 
their  old  Algonquin  enemies,  but  frequently  embroiled  with 
each  other.  Their  villages  became  fortified  camps,  laborious- 
ly intrenched  and  palisaded,  with  the  aid  of  the  clumsy  im- 
plements of  the  stone  age.  How  long  the  five  kindred,  but 
independent  tribes,  remained  isolated  and  estranged  is  un- 
certain. Tradition  affirms  that  the  situation  increased  in 
peril  and  gave  occasion  to  grave  and  manifold  discussion. 
The  Mohicans,  a  powerful  Algonquin  people,  whose  settle- 
ments stretched  eastward  from  the  Hudson  into  New  Eng- 
land, waged  a  desperate  war  against  them.     A  greater  peril 


*N'oTE. — I  do  not  speak  here  of  the  fragfrnents  of  the  Hurons  who    took    up 
their  abode  in  ()ntario,  the  Carolinas  and  Pennsylvania. 


03 


b:i.set  them  from  within.  The  central  Nation,  the  Onondag-as, 
were  then  imder  the  control  of  a  dreaded  chief  po^se.s::>ed  of 
an  immitigably  satanic  nature,  known  as  the  .Vtotaharo.  The 
Indian  mythoiogy  depicts  him  as  adorned  with  a  crest  of 
writhing  serpents.  There  was  at  this  time  in  the  same  na- 
tion, a  chief  of  high  rank,  whose  name  was  Hiawatha,  or, 
translated  into  English,  "  He  who  seeks  the  Wampum  Belt." 
Longfellow,  relying  for  his  auth'^rity  upon  the  inventive 
vSchoolcraft,  has  absurdly  wrenched  this  heroic  name  from  its 
true  place  in  aboriginal  history,  and  bestowed  the  honor  of 
his  birth  and  lineage  upon  the  far  western  Algonquins.  He 
was  a  man  past  middle  age,  and  was  greatly  esteemed  for  his 
wisdom  and  benevolence.  He  had  long  beheld  with  grief  the 
misery  which  afflicted  not  only  his  own  nation,  but  all  the 
other  tribes  around  them,  through  the  continual  wars  in  which 
they  were  engaged;  and  the  hTisgovernment  and  sorrows 
which  followed  in  their  train.  .After  long  meditation,  he  liad 
elaborated  in  his  mind  the  scheme  of  a  vast  confederation 
which  should  insure  universal  pea.e.  It  was  not  to  be  a 
loose  and  transitory  league,  but  a  permanent  government. 
While  each  nation  was  to  retain  its  own  council,  and  the  man- 
agement of  its  internal  affairs,  the  national  control  was  to  be 
lodged  in  a  federal  senate,  composed  of  representatives  elected 
by  each  nation;  holding  office  during  good  behavior,  and  ac- 
knowled  as  ruling  Sachems  throughout  the  w^hole  Confeder- 
acy. It  is  affirmed  by  the  Iroquois  chroniclers  that  his  aim 
embraced  the  whole  Indian  family,  which  he  sought  to  usher 
into  a  reign  of  universal  peace.  Hiawatha,  with  his  snowy 
garniture  of  wampum,  and  Atotaharo,  with  his  crest  of  .ser- 
pents, represented,  perhaps,  in  the  mythology  of  this  imagina- 
tive people,  the  two  warring  elements  of  good  and  evil. 
Naturally  the  reformer's  first  endeavor  was  to  enli-st  his  own 
nation  in  the  cause.  Accordingly  he  .summoned  a  meeting  of 
the  Onondaga  Chiefs  and  warriors,  who  as:^embled  in  a  large 
concour.se;  but  Hiaw^atha's  eloquence  was  in  vain.  The 
malign  appxrition  of  Atotaharo  awed  and  chilled  the  assem- 
blage. DcS  miring,  after  persistent  effort,  and  at  the  immi- 
nent ri.sk  of  his  life,  to  win  his  tribesmen  over  to  his  views, 
against  the  virulent  opposition  of  their  ruler,  he  determined 
to  abandon  his  own  nation,  and  appeal  to  the  other  cantons. 

With  this  intent  he  wrapt  his  blanket  about  him,  and, 
pai'suing  his  pilgrimage,  in  a  few  days,  came  within  sight  of 
the   paliWded  capital  of  the  Mohawk  Sachem,   DeKaniwita. 


36 

Here  the  voluntary  exile  paused  on  the  shore  of  a  lonely  little 
lake  to  gather  up  and  string  into  necklaees,  handfuls  of  the 
minute  white  shells  which  bestrewed  its  sands,  and  which  he 
disposed  about  his  neck  and  breast  as  a  token  of  his  peaceful 
intentions.  Soon  word  reached  the  JMohawk  ruler  that  a 
benignant  and  solitary  stranger,  whose  bosom  was  whiter  than 
driftino-  snow,  tarried  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village;  and 
forthwith  messengers  were  dispatched  to  invite  him  to  De- 
Kaniwita's  lodge.  Here  the  exile  found  a  kindly  welcome, 
nor  was  the  wise  and  mild  ruler  of  the  Mohawks  long  in  an- 
nounciuij;  his  conversion  to  the  views  of  his  honored  guest. 

The  adhesion  of  the  Mohawk  nation  having  been  se- 
cured, DeKaniwita  despatched  Embassadt^rs  to  the  nearest 
tribe,  the  Oneidas,  to  lay  the  project  before  them.  In  the 
course  of  a  twelve  month,  with  the  usual  Indian  dcliberale- 
ress,  the  Oneidas  yielded.  A'n other  effort  was  then  made  to 
secure  the  adhesion  of  the  redoubtable  Atotaharo,  and  was 
again  coldly  repulsed.  Not  yielding  to  discouragement,  the 
adv^ocates  of  peace  journeyed  through  the  woods  to  the 
Cayuga  capital,  where  they  met  the  forest  senate  of  a  people, 
described  by  the  Jesuit  ^lissionaries  as  the  most  mild  and 
tractable  of  the  Iroquois.  This  tribe  proved  complaisant,  and 
readily  consented  to  join  the  proposed  league.  Their  chief, 
Akahonyonk,  "  the  wary  spy,"  joined  the  IMohawk  and  Oneida 
representatives  and  set  out  as  a  new  Embassy  to  the  Onon- 
dagas.  Bv  dint  of  flattery  and  concessions,  gratifying  to  the 
haughty  pride  of  Atotaharo,  that  vSachem  was  at  last  induced, 
or  we  might  say  compelled,  to  give  his  adhesion  to  the 
scheme.  These  concessions  in voh-ed  the  primacy  of  Atota- 
haro and  the  Onondaga  nation, —  their  chief  town  should  be 
the  site  of  the  council  fire  of  the  confederation, — the  nation 
should  be  represented  by  fourteen  senators,  while  no  other 
nation  should  have  more  than  ten;  and  Atotaharo  should  be  the 
presiding  Sachem  with  two  high  chiefs  to  attend  him  and  do  his 
bidding.  To  guard  against  the  abuse  of  power,  a  provision 
was,  however,  incorporated  into  their  unwritten  constitution. 
to  the  efl^ect,  that  absolute  unanimity  of  the  Sachems,  repre- 
senting collectively  the  Five  Nations,  should  be  essential  to 
the  validity  of  every  enactment  affecting  the  league;  so  that 
in  national  affairs  each  sachem  of  the  league  possessed  the 
right  of  veto. 

The  adhesion  of  the  remaining  nation,  the  Senecas, 
was,  with  the  added  and  all-iiowerful    influence   of  the   Onoii- 


J)/ 


daga  Sachem,  speedily  obtained. 

If  these  statesmen  of  the  stone  age  had  paused  here,  the 
result  would  have  been  a  confederacy,  or  compact,  which,  sub- 
jected to  any  unusual  or  severe  strain,  would  have  proven  a 
rope  of  sand.  The  futility  of  such  experiments  has  been 
often  demonstrated.  How  to  preserve  the  autonomy  of  the 
several  nations,  and  yet  weld  their  elements  into  one  indis- 
soluble whole,  was  the  problem  which  confronted  Hiawatha, 
Dekaniwita  and  Atotaharo. 

In  the  elementary  stages  of  Society,  the  family  ties  as- 
sert themselves  most  strongly;  the  laws  which  seek  to  bind 
men  in  wider  and  more  complex  relations  having  little  force, 
and  being  but  vaguely  comprehended.  Thi.;  law  givers  of 
the  stone  age  knew  no  better  method  to  bind  the  people  of 
the  different  cantons  together  than  by  the  ties  of  blood  and 
family  relationship;  and  no  better  method  could  have  been 
devised  for  that  period.  The  gens,  or  family  groups,  among 
the  several  nations,  were  divided  into  three  tribal  subdivis- 
ions,— the  Turtle,  Wolf  and  Bear,— and  distributed 
throughout  the  five  separate  nations.  So  that,  for  instance, 
every  IMohawk  Wolf  was  accounted  a  brother  to  the  Oneida, 
Onondaga,  Cayuga  and  Seneca  Wolves;  And  so  with  the 
totems  of  the  Bear  and  Turtle.  The  Deers,  Snipes,  Herons, 
Hawks,  etc.,  appear  to  have  been  a  later  creation,  or,  most 
probablv,  were  introduced  with  the  masses  of  captives  from 
conquered  tribes. 

To  intermarr}^  into  the  same  tribe  would  con.stitute  a  re- 
volting example  of  incest.  Their  wives  must  belong  to  differ- 
ent trib'js  from  the  husbands.  The  children  belonged  to  the 
tribe  of  the  mother.  Brothers  and  sisters  were  of  different 
tribes,  extending  throughout  the  whole  league;  and  so  it 
came  to  pass  that  you  could  not  wound  a  iSIohawk  Wolf,  Tur- 
tle or  Bear  vvithout  causing  a  common  nerve-thread  to  twinge 
and  throb  throughout  the  bounds  of  every  nation.  In  this 
wav  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  knit  together,  and  such  a 
thing  as  tribal  or  national  jealousy  and  estrangement  became 
impossible.  Blood  was  thicker  than  water.  The  Iroquois 
nations  fused  together  in  1450,  became  a  homogeneous  peo- 
ple, preserving  their  political  autonom^y  as  States;  with  dis- 
tinct territorial  limits;  governed  by  separate  local  chieftains; 
managing  their  internal  affairs  without  interference,  and 
having  a"  prescribed  number  of  grand,  hereditary  Sachems 
who  were  members  of  and  entitled  to  a  potential  voice  in   the 


38 

supreme  parliament  of  the  nation  at  lar^-e. 

There  has-  been  a  o^reat  miseoneeption  reg-arding  the 
status  of  women  in  the  Ir()([uois  eonfederacy.  When  we  have 
to  admit,  what  is  an  undeniable  fact,  that  the  ehildren  belonged 
to  the  tribe  of  the  mother,  and  that  she  had  the  undis])ULed 
right  to  them;  that  the  ownership  of  the  home,  and  the  lands 
surrounding  it,  was  conceded  to  her;  that  the  chief  matron 
had  the  exclusive  prerogative  to  nominate  the  principal  chief- 
tains; and  that  the  women  were  invested  with  authoritv  to 
select  an  orator  to  champion  their  interests,  and  to  express 
their  views  in  the  legislature  of  the  nation,  what  reason  have 
we,  proud  Caucasians,  to  bjast  of  our  superior  chivalry,  as 
evidenced  bv  our  treatment  of  the  weaker  sex? 

Nor  did  Hiawatha,  and  his  fellow  legislators,  omit  any 
precautions,  permissible  in  that  rude  age,  to  prevent  a  re- 
lapse, or  falling  away  from  their  teachings.  Their  whole 
scheme,  the  titles  of  their  fifty  grand  sachems,  with  the  lead- 
ing incidents  attending  the  birth  of  the  league,  accompanied 
by  impressive  warnings  and  many  sound  maxims  of  polity 
and  morality,  were  incorporated  into  rude  verse,  and  required 
to  be  chanted  as  a  kind  of  ritual  whenever  the  Iroquois  la- 
mented the  death  of  a  Sachem,  and  selected  another  in  his 
place.  The  manual  of  rites,  prepared  by  Hiawatha,  is  called 
in  their  language  the  Great  Peack,  and  is  still  sung  or  re- 
cited by  the  more  conservative  Onondagas,  Cayugas,  Senecas, 
and  Mohawks,  and  by  a  few  among  the  other  nations. 

Soon  after,  when,  by  the  influence  of  the  British  (xovern- 
ment.  Missionaries  of  the  National  church  were  sent  to  the 
Mohawks,  the  sagacious  Indians  employed  them,  as  they  be- 
came masters  of  the  Indian  tongue,  to  commit  to  writing 
these  Iroquois  Vedas. 

Tradition  affirms  that  Chief  David,  or  Captain  Da\-id  of 
Schoharie,  was  the  interpreter.  I  have  sought  to  catch  a 
glimpse,  out  of  the  darkening  past,  of  this  ancient  warrior. 
I  know  that  he  was  a  gallant  chieftain,  -strange  to  sav  the 
owner  of  a  numl)er  of  negro  slaves,  -an  attached  friend  and 
relative  of  Brant,  the  kind  inaster  of  the  captive,  jasper  Parrish, 
whom  he  adopted  as  his  son,  -and  a  man  remarkable  for  his 
humane  instincts. 

Permit  me  to  give  you  a  pen  and  ink  sketch  which  will 
show  you  wdiat  an  Iroquois  Chief  was  like  in  the  earlier  days 
of  Red  jacket. 

The  writer  was  a  young  ICnglish  lad\'  wlio  followed  in  the 


39 

train  of  the  ill-fated  Irish  patriot,  Lord  Fitzgerald,  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Leinster,  and  who  visited  Brant's  Mohawks  in  Can- 
ada, after  their  exile  in  the  war  of  the  revolution. 

"  I  was  very  much  struck  with  the  frgures  of  these  Indians 
as  thev  approached.  They  w^ere  tall  and  finely  made,  and 
walk  with  a  dignity  and  grace  you  can  form  no  idea  of.  Our 
beaux  looked  quite  insignificant  beside  them.  One  man  re- 
cilled  to  m/  mind  the  description  of  one  of  Homer's  hen^es. 
I  \va- told  he  was  a  Chief  of  distinction,  and  spoke  English, 
and  that  if  I  pleased,  he  should  be  introduced  to  me.  I  had 
some  curiosity  to  see  how  a  Chief  of  the  Six  Nations  would 
pay  his  compliments,  but  little  did  I  expect  the  elegance  with 
which  he  addressed  me.  The  Prince  of  Wales  does  not  bow 
with  more  grace  than  Capt.  David.*  He  spoke  English  with 
propriety,  and  returned  all  the  compliments  paid  him  with  ease 
and  politeness.  As  he  was  not  only  the  handsomest,  but  the 
best  dressed  man  I  ever  saw,  I  will  endeavor  to  describe  him. 
His  person  is  tall  and  fine  as  it  is  possible  to  imagine,  his  fea- 
tures hand.some  and  regular;  with  a  countenance  of  much  soft- 
ness; his  complexion  is  not  disagreeably  dark;  and  I  really  be- 
lieve he  washes  his  face,  for  it  appeared  perfectly  clean  and 
free  from  paint.  His  hair  was  shaved  off,  except  a  little  on 
the  top  of  his  head,  to  which  his  ornaments  were  fastened; 
and  his  head  and  ears  were  painted  a  glowing  red.  Round  his 
head  was  fastened  a  fillet  of  highly  polished  silver.  From 
the  left  temple  hung  two  straps  of  black  velvet  covered  with 
silver  beads  and  broaches.  On  the  top  of  his  head  was  placed 
a  fox-tail  feather,  which  bowed  to  the  wind,  as  did  two  black 
ones,  one  in  each  ear.  A  pair  of  immense  ear-rings,  which 
hung  below  his  shoulders,  completed  his  head  dress,  which, 
I  as.sure  vou,  was  not  unbecoming,  though,  I  must  confess, 
somewhat  fantastical.  His  dress  was  s  shirt  of  colored 
calico, — the  neck  and  shoulders  covered  so  thick  with  silver 
broaches  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  a  net,  and  his  sleeves 
were  much  like  those  the  ladies  wore  when  I  left  England, 
fastened  about  the  arm  with  a  broad  bracelet  of  highly  polished 
silver,  engraved  with  the  arms  of  England,;  four  smaller 
bracelets  around  his  wri.sts,  of  the  .same  material;  and  round 
his  waist  a  large  scarf  of  very  dark  colored  stuff,  lined  with 
scarlet,  which  hung  to  his  feet.  One  part  of  this  scarf  he 
generally  drew  over  his  left  arm,  which  had  a  very  graceful 
effect  when  he  moved.     And  his  legs  were  covered  with  blue 

"XoTi'",. — The  "  tirst  srenlleman  in  Euroj^e." 


cloth,  made  to  tit  neatly,  with  an  ornamental  garter  bound  be- 
k)\v  the  knee." 

"I  know  not  what  kind  of  a  being  your  imagination  pre- 
sents to  you,  but  I  sincerely  declare  that,  altogether,  Capt. 
David  made  the  finest  appearance  that  I  ever  saw  in  my  life." 

This  would  seem  like  a  school  girl's  effusive  enthusiasm, 
did  we  not  remember  how  a  sight  of  the  yotmg  JNIohawk 
Apollos  once  kindled  the  imagination  of  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds. 

The  far-reaching  foresight  of  I liawatha  and  Dekaniwita 
soon  became  manifest.  The  jealousies  which  distracted  the 
different  cantons  were  put  to  slumber,  and  in  their  place  sprang 
a  feeling  of  nationality,  pride  and  confidence.  The  old  circu- 
lar intrenchments  were  suffered  to  fall  to  decay;  a  rr.mpart  (^f 
strong  arms  and  loyal  hearts  took  their  place,  and  the  ,  Capital 
of  Onondaga,  whither  their  Sachems  and  warriors  wended 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  to  legislate  for  the  common 
weal,  became  an  object  of  lively  interest  and  loval  pride.  The 
Indians  became  more  and  more  imbued  with  the  love  of  letiis- 
lation.  Oratory,  as  a  means  of  influencing  legislation,  be- 
came an  object  of  assiduous  cultivation,  and  the  People-of-the- 
Long-House,  grew  to  be  a  quick  witted,  alert  and  eloquent 
race  of  orators  and  statesmen.  The  new  Federal  ofovern- 
ment,  with  its  peculiar  blending  of  oligarchy,  democratic  ele- 
ments and  interwoven  tribal  ties,  begot  a  marvelous,  awaken- 
ing energy  that  w\as  unknown  to  all  the  other  tribes.  The 
Ho-de-no-sawn-ee  became  literally;  among  their  fellow-bar- 
barians, what  they  vaunted  themselves,  the  On-gue-hon-we,  or, 
"  People  surpassing  all  others;"  as  Parkman  characterized 
them,  they  were  "the  Indians  of  Indians." 

The  early  Jesuits  not  inaptly  termed  them  the  "  ko.ma.xs 
OF  THE  WEST."  A  comparison  of  their  crania  with  average 
specimens  of  other  tribes,  obtained  by  Morton  and  others, 
attest  their  striking  superiority  in  intellectual  power. 

If,  as  many  of  the  Iroquois  affirm,  the  founder  of  the  con- 
federacy aimed  to  put  an  end  to  warfare  among  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  to  enfold  them  all  in  his  expansive  and  beneficent 
system,  he  failed  deplorably  to  achieve  that  result.  The  mili- 
tary ardor  and  love  of  conquest  which  the  League  inspired 
and  nurtured,  proved  irrepressible.  Hut  to  fragments  of  con- 
quered nations,  and  in  a  few  rare  instances,  to  whole  tribes, 
like  the  Tuscaroras  and  Tuteloes,  the  doors  of  the  Long  House 
were  hospitably  swung  open.  The  waste  of  war  was  replen- 
ished liy  the  ademption  of  captives. 


41 

With  this  i^rowing  sense  of  power,  memories  of  humilia- 
tions tamely  submitted  to  when  they  dwelt  on  the  St.  Law- 
rence, at  the  hands  of  the  Adirondacks;  stinging  recollections 
of  insults  and  wrongs  inflicted  by  the  Mohicans,  Delawares, 
the  separated  Hurons  and  other  tribes,  arose  like  wrathful 
ghosts,  demanding  expiation.  The  Iroquois  entered  upon  a 
career  of  conquest  which  embraced  a  continent,  and  this  path- 
way was  marked  with  fire  and  blood. 

Had  our  aboriginal  predecessors  confined  their  martial 
ardor  to  subduing  foes  of  their  own  race,  the  result  would  not 
have  perceptibly  affected  the  future  of  this  continent.  It  was 
fated  that  the  Iroquois  should  be  a  most  potent  factor  in  de- 
termining which  of  the  two  great  competing  civilizations, 
French  or  English,  should  rule  the  continent.  The  causes 
which  led  to  French  colonization  in  America  were  widely  dif- 
ferent from  those  which  impelled  her  great  rival.  The  French 
movement  was  encouraged  by  the  government  with  all  the 
resources  it  could  spare  from  other  ambitious  enterprises;  the 
masterful  and  tremendous  enginery  of  the  Jesuits  was  en- 
listed on  its  .side;  it  had  the  ardent  sympathy  of  the  nobility 
and  educated  classes.  It  enlLsted  all  the  chivalnms,  romantic 
and  adventurous  elements  of  Young  France.  Its  patron  was, 
in  fact,  the  Knight-errant  of  the  European  nations. 

The  English  colonies,  as  is  well  known,  were  planted  to 
escape  the  tyranny  of  a  Cjovernment,  from  whom  they  received 
ill-grudged  recognition,  until  the  fruits  of  their  frugality  and 
patient  toil,  amid  the  most  di.scouraging  environment,  .sug-- 
gested  to  the  parent  government  the  fatal  blunder  of  taxing 
the  colonies  and  yet  withholding  from  them  the  privilege  of 
representation;  a  mistake  which  deprived  England  of  her 
proudest  jewel,  and  led  to  the  establishment  of  the  great 
republic. 

When  the  English  were  confined  to  a  few  colonies,  having 
little  cohesive  power,  and  few  ties  of  sympathy, — Puritan  and 
Cavalier,  Dutch  and  Scotch-Iri.sh, — France  had  already  mapped 
out  a  gigantic  dominion  stretching  from  the  ice  locked  regions 
around  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  tepid  waters  of  the  Mexican  Gulf . 
Her  tireless  explorers  and  hardy  voyageurs  were  ascending  the 
principal  rivers,  seizing  every  avenue  leading  to  the  rich  fur 
trade;  erecting  forts  and  planting  the  tri-color  at  the  most 
commanding  points.  Her  missionaries,  animated  by  a  relig- 
ious fervor  that  no  peril  or  hardship  could  damp,  were  plant- 
ing" the  cross  in  the  most  forbidding  and  inaccessible  regions. 


intent  on  winning  souls  to  God  and  loyal  subiec's  to  la  lelle 
France.  The  prixe  seemed  an  easy  conquest  tO  the  enterpris- 
ing and  gallant  French;  but,  with  all  their  proverbial  astute- 
ness, they  had  left  out  of  their  calculation  one  verv  im])ortant 
factor, — the  Confederacy  of  the  Iroquois.  "  Samuel  de  Cham- 
plain,"  says  Parkman,  "  has  been  fitly  called  the  Father  of  New 
France.  In  him  were  embodied  her  religious  zeal  and  roman- 
tic spirit  of  adventure.  Before  the  close  of  his  career,  purged 
of  heresy.  New  France  t(jok  the  posture  which  she  held  to  the 
day  of  her  death, — in  one  hand  the  crucifix,  in  the  other,  the 
sword." 

Cham  plain  committed  a  gigantic  blunder.  In  \Cog, 
Champlain,  having  ascended  through  the  lake  which  n(>w 
bears  his  name,  into  Lake  (jeorge,  accompanied  by  the  ancicnr 
enemies  of  the  Iroquois,  the  Adirondacks,  fell  in  with  a  party 
of  the  Mohawks,  numbering  about  two  hundred,  and  an  en- 
gagement ensued  between  them  on  the  western  shore  of  the 
lake.  This  was  the  first  battle  between  the  Iroquois  and  the 
Europeans,  and  the  first  time  the  former  heard  the  sound  of 
fire  arms,  by  the  marvelous  power  of  which  thev  were  then 
easily  vanquished.  The  French  having  allied  ihtmselves  with 
the  Adirondacks  and  Hurons,  giving  them  arms  and  assist- 
ance, a  vspirit  of  hatred  was  aroused  against  them  which  never 
ceased  to  burn  until  the  final  subjugation  of  Canada  by  the 
English  in  1760.  The  Adironracks  were  the  old  oppressors 
of  the  Iroquois, — the  Hurons,  were  a  numerous  and  sedentary 
nation,  kindred  but  hostile  to  the  Iroquois,  living  in  what  is 
now  known  as  the  peniuvsula  of  Ontario,  and  the  peculiar  ob- 
jects of  the  Jesuits  care.  "  As  the  rival  colonies  of  France 
and  England  were  for  many  years  equally  balanced."  remarks 
Dr.  Morgan.  "  the  enmity  and  power  of  the  Hodenosawnce 
were  sufficient  to  turn  the  scale  against  the  former.  To  this 
Indian  League,  France  must  chiefly  ascribe  the  final  over- 
throw of  her  magnificent  schemes  for  colonization  in  North 
America." 

During  the  same  period,  or  rather  from  about  the  year  1640 
to  the  year  1 740.a  constant  warfare  was  maintained  between  the 
Irocpiois  and  the  French,  interrupted  oeca.sionally  by  negotia- 
tions and  brief  intervals  of  peace.  The  French  settlements  were 
in  a  constant  state  of  siege  and  alarm.  The  fur  trade  upon  which 
the  prosperity  of  the  colony  depended  was  eontinuallv  inter- 
rupted. The  war  cry  of  the  savages  rang  through  all  the 
arches    of  the   woods;    their  canoes  lurked    in    o\-er\'   inarshv 


43 

covert,  and  darted  fn^m  out  every  sedgy  brink.  A  wild 
screech,  a  flight  of  feathered  arrows,  or  ringing  report  of 
musketry,  and  the  mischief  was  done;  a  few  bleeding  scalps 
a  few  agonized  captives.  On  both  sides,  red  and  white,  re- 
taliation, cruelty,  treachery.  Attempts  were  made  on  both 
sides  to  arrest  this  slaughter  and  usher  in  a  reign  of  peace. 
Parkman  relates  an  affecting  incident  of  an  Onondao^a  Chief 
named  Scadwati,  who  was  lured  by  the  French  Indians  to 
visit  the  French  country;  he  accepted  their  overtures  of  friend- 
ship, and  finally  established  in  behalf  of  his  nation,  with 
great  rejoicing  and  high  solemnities,  terms  of  peace.  Learn- 
ing soon  afterwards  that  while  his  own  nation  proved  true, 
their  allies,  the  Mohawks  and  Senecas,  refused  to  be  bound  by 
the  treaty,  in  mortification  and  chagrin  he  deliberately  took 
his  own  life.  One  of  Scadwati's  two  colleagues  had  set  out 
for  Onondaga  with  a  deputation  of  six  Hurons.  This  partv 
was  met  by  a  hundred  ]\Iohawks,  who  captured  them  all  and 
killed  the  six  Hurons,  but  spared  the  Onondaga,  and  compelled 
him  to  j'un  them.  Soon  after  they  made  a  sudden  onset  on 
about  three  hundred  Hurons  journeying  through  the  forest 
from  the  town  of  St.  Ignace;  and,  as  many  of  them  were 
women,  they  routed  the  whole  party,  and  took  forty  prisoners. 
The  Onondaga  bore  part  in  the  fray,  and  captured  a  Chris- 
tian Fluron  girl;  but  the  next  day  he  insisted  on  returning  to 
the  Huron  town.  "  Kill  me  if  you  will  I  "  he  said  to  the  Mo- 
hawks, "  but  I  cannot  follow  you;  for  then  I  should  be  asham.ed 
to  appear  among  my  countrymen,  who  sent  me  on  a  mes.sage 
of  peace  to  the  Hurons;  and  I  must  die  with  them,  sooner  than 
to  seem  to  act  as  their  enemy."  On  this,  the  Mohawks  not 
only  permitted  him  to  go,  but  gave  him  the  Huron  girl  whom 
he  had  taken;  and  the  Onondaga  led  her  back  in  safetv  to 
her  own  countrymen.  "  Here  then,"  exclaims  Parkman. 
•'  is  a  ray  of  light  out  of  Egyptian  darkness.  The  principle  of 
honor  was  not  extinct  in  these  wild  hearts." 

The  desolatinof  war  went  on.  At  one  time  as  manv  as 
eight  hundred  warriors  attacked  Frontenac,  a  strono-hold  on 
the  site  of  Kingston,  and  dCvStroyed  and  laid  waste  the  sur- 
rounding settlements.  In  July  of  the  ensuing  year,  about 
1689,  a  band  of  1,200  Iroquois  struck  a  blow  at  Montreal,  from 
which  the  French  never  recovered.  Time  will  not  here  per- 
mit us  to  survev  the  long:  and  bloodv  contest  lasting  for  over 
a  century,  in  which  the  Iroquois  sought  to  cripple  the  power 
or  conquer  the  dominion  of  Xcw  France. 


44 

Parkman,  ^^iorgan  and  other  writers  have  attempted  to 
do  justice  to  these  rude  but  loyal  allies  of  England. 

At  a  critical  period,  Count  Frontenac  became  for  the 
second  time  Governor  of  Canada;  and,  during  the  short  resi- 
due of  his  life,  devoted  himself,  with  untiiinir  eneruv,  to  re- 
storing  its  declining  prosperity.  The  Iroquois,  though  un- 
conquered,  suffered  severely  from  the  blows  inflicted  by  this 
energetic  and  able  ruler. 

Every  school  boy  remembers  Garangula's  speech,  and  the 
circumstances  which  gave  rise  to  it;  how  the  boastful  French 
Governor,  General  de  La  Barre,  with  a  powerful  army,  in- 
vaded the  Iroquois  country,  to  chastise  or  crush  the  exaspera- 
ting Iroquois.  How,  when  he  arrived  at  a  striking  distance, 
his  army  was  attacked  and  made  helpless  by  fever.  Flow,  in 
this  crippled  condition,  he  summoned  the  Onondaga  vSachems 
to  meet  him  in  council;  and  how.  when  thcv  had  obeyed  the 
summons,  he  scolded  them  lustily,  particularly  for  ill-using  tlic 
Indian  allies  of  the  French,  and  threatened  dire  vengence  un- 
less  they  repented  and  did  better  in  the  future. 

During  the  delivery  of  his  harangue,  Garangula  sat 
silent  and  attentive,  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  bowl  of  his  pipe 
When  the  interpreter  had  ceased,  he  rose,  walked  gravely 
two  or  three  times  around  the  lines  of  the  assembly,  then 
stopped  before  the  Governor,  looked  steadih- athim,  stretched 
out  histawnv  arm,  and  uttered  himself  as  follows: 

"  Gnondio,  I  honor  you,  and  all  the  warriors  who  are  with 
me  honor  you.  Your  interpreter  has  ended  his  speech  and  I 
now  begin  mine,  listen  to  my  words. 

"  Gnondio,  when  you  left  Quebec,  you  must  have  thcught 
that  the  heat  of  the  sun  had  burned  the  forests  that  make  our 
country  inaccessible  to  the  French,  or  that  the  lake  had  over- 
flowed them  so  that  we  could  not  escape  from  our  villages. 

"  You  must  have  thought  so,  Onondio,  and  curiosity  to  see 
such  a  fire,  or  such  a  flood,  must  have  brought  you  to  tliis 
place.  Now  your  eyes  are  opened;  for  I  and  my  warriors  have 
come  to  tell  you  that  the  Senecas,  Cayugas,  Onondagas, 
Oneidas  and  Mohaws  are  all  alive.  I  thank  \  ou  in  their  name 
for  bringing  back  the  calumet  of  peace  whicli  they  gave  to 
your  predecessors;  and  I  give  you  joy  that  you  have  not.  dug 
up  the  hatchet  which  has  been  so  often  red  with  the  blood  of 
your  countrymen.  Listen.  Onondio,  I  am  not  asleep.  My 
eyes  are  open;  and  bv  the  sun  that  gives  us  light  I  see  a 
great  captain  at  the  head  of  a  band  of  soldiers,  who  talk^  like 


45 

a  man  in  a  dream,  I  see  that  he  came  to  knock  us  on  the  head 
if  so  many  of  his  Frenchmen  were  not  too  weak  to  fight.  I 
see  Onondio  raving  in  a  camp  of  sick  men  whose  lives  the 
Great  Spirit  has  saved  by  smiting  them  with  disease.  Our 
women  had  snatched  war  clubs,  and  our  children  and  old  men 
seized  bows  and  arrows  to  attack  your  camp,  if  our  warriors 
had  not  restrained  them,  and  your  messenger,  Akouessan, 
appeared  in  our  village. 

"  We  were  born  free;  we  depend  neither  on  Onondio  nor 
Corlear.  We  may  go  where  we  please,  and  carry  with  us 
whom  we  please,  and  buy  and  sell  what  we  please.  If  your 
allies  are  your  slaves  or  children,  treat  them  like  slaves  or 
children,  and  forbid  them  to  deal  with  anybody  but  vour 
Frenchmen." 

The  earlier  speeches  of  Red  Jacket,  in  lofty  pride  and 
elevation,  and  in  biting  sarcasm,  reminds  us  of  Garaneula. 
The  former,  however,  when  the  dark  clouds  began  to  brood 
over  his  nation,  mingled  the  most  touching  pathos  with  the 
irony  and  invective  so  natural  to  him. 

The  tiine  had  arrived  at  last  for  the  final  encounter,  or 
death  struggle,  between  the  French  and  English  powers  in 
America.*    Its  opening  was  not  propitious  to  England. 

A  fatal  imbecility  characterized  her  military  leaders 
abroad,  —the  sure  reflection  of  a  torpid  and  corrupt  adminis- 
tration at  home.  France  was  fortunate  in  having  at  the  head 
of  her  Atnerican  forces  a  brilliant  Captain,  the  Marquis  de 
Montcalm.  That  loyal,  heroic  race,  the  Iroquois,  which  had 
stood  a  wall  of  fire  between  the  English  colonies  and  their 
Gallic  foes,  keeping  the  French  at  bay  until  the  the  young 
English  giant  had  grown  virile  and  strong, — had  spent  itself 
in  many  a  bloody  contest.  The  war  of  1755  went  on,  Mont- 
calm winning  new  victories,  new  prestige,  while  England's 
course  in  America  seemed  approaching  an  ignominious  end. 
Suddenlv,  a  change  like  a  lightning  flash!  A  statesman, 
named  Pitt,  brilliant,  electric,  with  calm  equipoise  and  teles- 
copic vision,  is  at  the  helm.  A  new  life  stirs  England.  A 
new  leader, — a  dying  yet  dauntless  young  man,  Wolf,  organ- 
izes and  leads  her  armies  to  victory.  A  battle  of  the  Titans 
follows,  and  England's  victory,  France's  defeat,  is  sealed  with 
the  hearts  blood  of  both  the  great  rival  leaders.  Wolf  and 
Montcalm.  America  is  saved  for  its  august  and  beneficent 
destinv.     To  whom  was  the  inestimable  service  due? 

A  few  months  since,  I  stood  on  the  plains  of  Abraham, 


46 

near  the  eitadel  of  (Quebec,  on  Lhc  sile  of  that  final,  -jvcr- 
memorable  contest.  A  noble  granite  shaft,  erected  by  the 
Eno-lish,  generously  commemorates  the  glory  of  both  victor 
and  vanqiiished,  Wolf  and  ^lontcalm.  No  one  can  view  that 
monument,  and  ponder  its  lessons,  without  emotion.  Another 
monument  erected  by  the  French,  publishes,  in  the  speech  of 
old  Gaul,  the  legend,  "Honor  to  Montcalm;  Destiny,  in  de- 
priving him  of  \'ictorv,  compensated  him  with  a  glorious 
death." 

The  place  seemed  hushed,  holv,  and  consecrated  to  the 
heroic  dead. 

I  cast  my  eyes  around,  expecting,  hoping,  to  see  some 
slight  token  of  grateful  recognition,— .scmie  modest  mcnKnial 
to  the  ancient  lords  of  the  continent, — the  rude  but  generous 
warriors  of  the  League  of  the  Iroquois. 

But  no,  the  braves  had  noiselessly  vanished,  and.  a]-i\ar- 
entlv,  left  on  the  sands  no  print  of  their  moccasins. 

But  little  more  remains  to  be  told.  New  France  was  en- 
gulfed in  disaster,  but  she  left  a  virile,  prolific  race  stranded 
on  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  which  to-day  is  a  .standing  menace 
to  Enirlish  rule  in  America.  In  the  meantime,  another  strug- 
gle  was  impending  in  which  the  Grand  Monarque  had  little 
concern.  It  related  to  the  mother  country  and  her  revolted 
colonies.  That  mother,  with  her  usual  eager  selfi.shness,  be- 
sought the  aid  of  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  from  her 
wasted  red  children.  The  latter,  influenced  by  their  Sachem, 
the  Old  King,  had  entered  upon  a  marvelous  career  of  pro- 
gress, and  were  disinclined  to  again  take  up  the  hatchet. 
Partly  by  cajolery,  and  partly  by  treachery,  but  all  in  loyalty 
and  honor,  the  Indians  allowed  themselves  to  be  entrap]X'd 
into  the  contest,  only  to  be  deserted  in  the  end  by  their  cruel 
allies. 

a\  few  fled  to  Canada, — a  larger  number  remained  here, 
and  made  peace  with  the  Yankees,  but  on  terms  which  they 
failed  to  comprehend,  and  which  proved  in  the  end  false  and 
illusory.  Their  once  proud  independence,  and  their  lordly 
heritaire  were  both  gone  forever.  The  haughtv  Irociuois  were 
no  longer  lords  but  vassals. 

They  were  permitted  to  return  to  their  ancient  haunts  by 
the  grace  of  Washington,  but  humiliated  and  despairing.  The 
greatest  of  the  Iroquois,  -greater  than  Gaiangula,  Connestoga 
or  the  Old  Kino-  returned  with  them,  and  to  the  dav  of  his 
death  remained  to  counsel,  cheer  and  protect  his  ]KM)plc. 


The  last  of  his  peerless  raee,  The  Iroquois  of  Iroquois, 
^vith  a  front  like  Jcn^e,  a  brow  which  has  been  likened  to  that 
of  Shakespeare,  endowed  with  matchless  eloquence,  dauntless 
courag^e,  undvinc^  patriotism,  he  spent  a  long-  life  in  unavail- 
ino"  efforts  to  preserve  the  nationality  and  inheritance  of  his 
people.  He  died  despairingly,  believing  that  after  his  de- 
parture the  "  craft  and  avarice  of  the  white  man  would  pre- 
vail," and  that  his  doomed  people  would  not  long  survive. 
His  gloomy  prophecy  is  fast  approaching  its  fulfilment. 

Do  we'  of  the  pale  race,  who  have  succeeded  to  the  red 
min's  heritage;  who  fill  the  space  where  he  once  roamed  from 
sea  to  sea;  who  boast  so  much  of  what,  after  all,  was  purchased 
by  his  blood  and  valor;  while  we  carelessly  drive  our  plow- 
shares over  his  neglected  grave, — do  we  need  to  apologize  to 
our  descendants  for  rearing  this  white  stone  to  the  memory 

of    THE    LAST   OF    THK  IkOOUOIS? 


The  presence  of  Hon.  Thcs.  M.  Howell,  of  Canandaigua, 
upon  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  was  a  source  of  much  grat- 
irication  to  the  Trus, ees  of  tne  Society.  Upon  invitation  of 
the  Chairman  Mr.  Ho  vvell  made  a  brief  address  congratulating 
and  commending  the  vSociety  upon  the  praiseworthy  work  ac- 
complished by  it  in  the  erection  of  the  memorial  to  the  re- 
nowned orator.  It  had  been  his  privilege  to  know  and  listen 
to  the  unique  chief  and  to  see  him  dressed  in  his  red  jacket 
and  wearing  his  large  silver  medal  presented  him  by  Gen. 
Washington.  He  n  counted  many  pleasant  reminiscences  and 
anecdotes  of  Red  Jacket,  which,  it  is  to  be  regretted,  were  not 
reported.  Speaking  of  the  site  of  the  monument  he  said: 
"  No  more  appropriate  wild  and  romantic  location  within  the 
territorv  inhabited  by  the  Six  Nations  could  have  been 
selected  for  the  location  of  a  monument  to  perpetuate  the 
memorv  of  the  historic  Indian  Chief."  He  also  stated  that  he 
had  personally  interviewed  several  Chiefs,  and  had  got  from 
them — as  he  had,  in  writing,  before  obtained  from  Gen.  Ely  S. 
Parker — the  true  spelling  and  pn^iunciation  of  Red  Jacket's 
Ir  dian  narr.e,  thus:     "  Sa-(;()VA-\\  A'1-la." 


4'^ 


Upon  the  conclusion  of  Judge  Howell's  remarks,  Miss 
Bf/phia  May  Parkkr — the  seven-year-old  grand-daughter  of 
vSiichem  N.  II.  l^arker — upon  a  signal  being  given — pulled  a 
cord  and  released  the  veil  enveloping  the  monument. 

As  it  fell  gentlN-  to  the  earth  disclosing  to  view  the  mi\- 
jestic  structure  which  is  to  perpetuate  to  future  generati(jns 
the  memorv  of  the  gifted  Orator  of.  the  Iroquois  the  "  Friend 

and  Protector  of  his  People,"  the  shouts  of  the  assembled  mul- 
titude filled  the  air.  The  Indian  maiden  was  loudly  greeted 
as  she  was  borne  to  the  platform  and  ])laced  in  full  view  of  the 
cheering  throng. 

Dl'.SCRII' riOX    OF     11  IK    MOM'MI'IN  r. 

The  monument  is  built  of  Concord  granite,  a  block 
of  which,  seven  feet  in  diameter  by  five  feet  in  height 
forms  the  base,  from  which  rises  the  shaft,  admirably 
carved  to  represent  the  trimk  of  an  Oak,  fourteen  feet 
in  height  with  a  diameter  of  three  feet  at  the  base  and  two 
feet  at  the  top.  Clustering  about  the  base  are  six  small 
bowlders  (two  feet,  to  two  and  one-half  feet  in  diameter)  repre- 
senting, and  bearing  the  names  of,  the  Six  Nations  of  Iroquois. 
Four  bronze  tablets  are  placed  upon  the  base,  the  one  on  the 
east  face  Ijears  the  following  inscription: 


RED  JACKET. 

SA-GO-VA-WA'l-IIA. 

Jfp  A'eepii  Them  An'<il:r. 

The  Orator  of  the  vSix  Nations  of  Iroquois. 

A  Chief  of  the  AVolf  Clan  of  the  Senecas. 


Pjorn  near  this  S]5ot, 
1750. 


Died  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y 


1830. 


N'oiK. — The  yrar  of  Red  jacket's  birth  as  appears  upon  the  monumrnt 
[1750  1  is  that  K'ven  by  \V.  L.  Stone  in  his  "  Life  of  Red  jacket. "  The  evidence 
Ljiven  i)y  the  Chief  himself  at  the  '"  Tommy  Jemmy  "  trial  (see  Mr.  Conover's 
address,  pai^e  30,)  would  indicate  a  later  date. 


,?i 


V. 


y. 


u 
< 


u 


< 


H 

u: 
s; 
V. 

o 

3: 


49 

Above  the  inscription  appears,  in  relief,  the  head  of  a 
Wolf,  and  on  the  lower  portion  of  the  tablet  a  pipe  and  toma- 
hawk, the  latter  being  a  copy  of  the  one  presented  to  Red 
Jacket  by  Washington,  which  is  now  the  property  of  the 
Buffalo  Historical  Society.  The  tablets  on  the  north  and 
south  faces  are  enlarged  copies  of  the  obverse  and  reverse  of 
the  Red  Jacket  Medal  presented  to  the  Chief  by  Washing- 
ton in  1792,  and  worn  by  him  upon  all  state  occasions.  The 
inedal  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Gen.  Ely  S.  Parker,  or 
Do-ne-ho-ga-wa,  Iroquois  Sachem.  The  tablet  on  the  west 
face  reads,  "  Erected  by  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical 
Society,  1891. 

INDIAN  CEREMONIES. 

The  remainder  of  the  proceedings  were  entrusted  to  the 
Iroquois,  who  sat  in  a  circle  upon  the  platform.  The  cere- 
mony of  conferring  the  name  upon  the  monument  was  first 
enacted,  and,  as  explained  by  Chief  C.  C.  Lay  in  a  letter  to  the 
writer,  was  an  adaptation  of  the  ancient  Iroquois  rites  used  in 
giving  the  name  to  a  male  child  at  its  birth,  and  in  the  event 
of  the  child's  reaching  manhood  and  becoming  a  Chief,  the 
conferring  a  new  name  and  the  performance  of  another  cere- 
mony. 

The  monument  was  treated  as  a  personification  of  Red 
Jacket;  the  unveiling  was  the  birth;  "  the  monument"  using 
the  language  of  Chief  Lay  "  as  unveiled  before  the  world,  was 
as  a  new  born  child  of  the  Senecas,  as  of  old."  In  accord- 
ance with  this  hypothesis.  Chief  John  Buck  addressed 
the  monument,  uttering  several  sentences  in  the  Onon- 
daga dialect  in  a  chanting  monotone,  concluding  with  giv- 
ing to  the  structure  Red  Jacket's  childhood  name,  O-te-ti-an-i, 
which  was  followed  by  the  War  Song  by  Chief  Sandy,  confirm- 
ing the  name,  and  predicting  for  the  new  born  child  fame  and 
renown  as  a  warrior.  After  a  brief  pause  the  next  ceremony 
was  performed;  the  child  had  become  a  Chief,  and  a  new  name, 
Sa-{;o-va-WAT-ha,  was  conferred  by  Chief  Buck  upon  the  mon- 


ument,  the  entire  Canada  delegation  uniting  in  a  cliant.  ratify- 
ing- and  rendering  valid  the  action  of  the  Onondaga  Chief. 

Next  came  a  War  Dance  by  Ch"efs  Henry  and  Holt,  with 
song  and  drum  accompaniment  by  Cliiefs  vSandy  and  Silver- 
smith. The  dancers,  each  carrying  a  tomahawk,  were  attired 
in  buckskin  coat  and  leggins.  and  prnamented  with  belts, 
feathers  and  paint.  It  was  a  stirring  display,  and  aided  by 
the  fierce  and  exultant  war  whoop,  was  well  calculated  to  in- 
flame and  urge  the  Indian  braves  to  battle.  Chief  Buck  then 
exhiljited  a  large  Wampum  belt  and  explained  its  use,  and 
the  manner  of  keeping  the  records  of  the  Confederacy. 

C.  C.  L.vv  then  addressed  the  audience,  returning  the 
thanks  of  the  Iroquois  for  the  erection  of  the  monument,  and 
for  all  the  courtesies  extended  to  the  delegation,  speaking  in 
English,  as  follcnvs : 

Brothers:-  I  rise  with  a  feeling  of  gratitude,  in  witnessing 
these  ceremonies,  that  I  am  permitted  to  represent  the  Seneca 
Nation  at  this  unveiling.  We  came  not  as  a  century  or  iwu  ago. 
as  enemies,  as  sometimes  we  were;  but  we  greet  you  as  friends 
in  peace.  We  are  but  few  at  this  time;  according  to  history  we 
were  then  —the  Iroquois  were — a  very  numerous  and  power- 
ful race.  Now  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  ai.ssolu- 
tion  may  occur.  We  have  but  little -land,  and  are  at  the  dicta- 
tion of  the  Oeneral  government  and  the  State.  I  am  happy 
to  greet  on  behalf  of  my  people,  the  Waterloo  Historical  v^,o- 
ciety,  and  to  thank  the  Society  for  this  honor  to  the  greatest 
orator  of  our  nation.  I  am  happy  that  we  meet  here  as 
friends,  not  in  warfare  as  of  old,  In  future  our  people  will  un- 
derstand your  benevolence;  this  will  be  a  part  of  our  history. 
For  the  President  of  our  nation  who  is  here,  I  return  sincere 
thanks  for  the  honor  you  have  bestowed  on  us  and  our  race. 
Also,  thanks  to  the  Canadian  Indians,  for  their  kind  attend- 
ance, and  thanks  to  the  kind  .Spirit  who  rules  over  all." 

The  following  Hymn  in  the  Seneca  language  was  then 
sung  bv  Chiefs  Lav,  lones  and  Parker,  led  bv  Rev.  ^Nlr.  San- 
born,  the  translator  and  publisher  of  the  Hymnal  from  which 
the  Hvmn  was  taken.  The  words  were  set  to  a  sweet  melody, 
and  the  rich  voices  of  the   Indians   made  grandly  impressive 


51 

the  Christian  Hymn  sung-  by  the  band  of  Christian  Indians  on 
the  spot  where  the  pagan  chief  was  born,  and  where  was  now 
gathered  so  large  an  assemblage  to  honor  his  memory. 

HVMX, 


Seeking  Christ. 
Jat  gat 'huh  be'ni  sho'gwa  wih, 

Neli  no  nen'nyah  si  yu 
Sha  dili'm  go'aut,  sho,  na'eh, 

Nefii  no  nah'  gag'yati  geh. 

2  Neh  de'anandah'no'ohgwah, 
Nell  neh  Cha  gao'he  dvs 

Neh  a sha'go njoh  gwak  dyutgonf^ 
Nell  no  nah'  gao'yali  geh. 

3  lis,  neh  Sa  yafe'da  ne'a  gwat 
Neh  neh  ga'o  yah  geh 

Neh  huh'  nils  ■  sna  geh'o  weh,  neh. 
Kuh,  neh  so  gweh'dah  shoh. 

4  Da  neh  huh',  dili,  a'se  gon  dak 
Neh  iiiih  a  gat'wais'hah : 

Neh  na  yuh'ni  go'i  yu'ak 
Ha'yu  i'wa  da  dvieh. 

5  Neh  huh'  ha  swa'ga  da'no  dahk 
Neh  ta'ga  do'is  haah ; 

Neh  neh  da  goah'sa  o'nyo  ok 
Neh  neh  ta'wa  dohk'dah. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sanborn  closed  the  exercises  with  a  Benedic- 
tion, and  the  vast  audience  slowly  dispersed. 


SKElCllE.s    OK    SOME    OF     lllE    CHIEFS. 

Thr()no;h  the  courtesy  of  Hon.  W.  C.  Bryant,  the  Society 
is  enabled  to  furnish  brief  sketches  of  some  of  its  distiniruished 
Indian  guests.  The  Indian  names  are  g-iyen  with  the  trans-, 
lation,  as  they  appear  upon  the  register  of  the  Socielw 

John  Buck;  , 

Skanawati ,  [Ox  kk  i  iik  Swami']. 
An  Onondaga  Chieftain,  one  of  the  fifty  Sachems  of  the 
Fiye  Nations,  or  Iroquois,  and  the  Official  Keeper '^f  the  Wam- 
pum Belts,  or  Records.  This  office  has  been  held  bv  his  fam- 
ily since  the  days  of  Hia\yatha.  Chief  Buck  is  a  man  of  hii"!! 
character,  probably  the  most  eminent  of  the  Canadian  Iro- 
quois Sachems.  His  name  occurs  in  many  historical  works. 
Horatio  Hale's,  Dr.  Brinton's,  etc,  Although  inclined  to  ad- 
here to  the  faith  of  his  ancestors,  he  is  a  yery  moral  man,  and 
an  enthu.sia.stie  adyocate  of  temperance  and  of  cyery  good 
cause.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  presence,  and.  although  he 
speaks  English  yery  imperfectly,  in  his  o^vn  tongue  he  is  ac- 
counted an  impressiye  and  graceful  orator.  Chief  Buck 
brought  with  him  the  old  Wampum  Belts,  and  recited  their 
purport  and  teachings  to  the  assembled  multitude.  \'ery  few, 
if  any,  will  be  permitted  to  in.spect  these  archaic  and  maryel- 
ous  records  a  second  time.     This  v/as  neyer  done  before. 

John  Jacket, 

Shy  <ji/i)-an-Jioh,  [Hoi.dinc;  i  hk  Eakiii]. 
The  son  of  John  Big-Fire  and  Red  jacket's  last  suryiyin.i>-  daueh- 
ter,  who  is  described  by  Mrs.  Asher  Wright  as  an  estimable 
queenly  and  beautiful  woman.  John  was  christened  ])\-  the 
Missionaries  "  John  jacket  Big  P'ire,"  but  the  Indians  generally 
were  fond  and  proud  of  him  on  account  of  liis  lineage,  and  in- 
sisted on  calling  him  Jacket  only,  dropping  the  Big  Fire.  John 
Jacket  has  always  been  a  most  exemplary  man,  and  a  sincere 
Christian.  He  bears  a  most  striking  likeness  to  his  great  an- 
cestor, but  did  not  inherit  the  ancestral  eloquence  and  olorv,  a 
common  fate  with  the   posterity  of  the  great,      jolm    rcnieni- 


•J. 
u 


f  2 


X 


< 


X 

x 

■J-'. 

or. 

y. 

3J 


hers  Red  Jacket  well,  who  looked  upon  the  little  Seneca  boy 
as  the  last  of  his  family,  and  which  he  truly  is. 

Thomas   Kennedy, 

Sah-go-ah-gwahs,  [He  Claims  Her]. 
Comes  from  a  long  line  of  Chiefs  by  that  name.  The  family 
and  tribe  had  their  village  formerly  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  (jenesee  from  Mt.  Morris,  known  as  Squhkie  Hill  (Saukie 
Hill,)  from  whence  they  migrated  to  Buffalo  Creek,  thence  to 
Cattaraugus.  They  were  originally  Sauks,  or  Sacs,  and  Foxes, 
captured  and  adopted  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 
'•  Buffalo  Tom  "  Tall  Chief  and  Kennedy  were  the  most  noted 
Chiefs.  The  Sauk  language  was  spoken  in  the  old  village,  to- 
gether with  the  Seneca,  .seventy  years  ago.  Kennedy  is  an 
enterprising  Indian  farmer,  but,  all  the  same,  is  as  proud  and 
fiery  tempered  a  warrior  as  ever  raised  a  whoop  or  swung  a 
hatchet. 

[Mr.  Lay,  in  his  speech  at  Canoga,  spoke  of  Kennedy  as  "  President  of   our 
Nation ." — Ed.] 

Wm.  Nephew, 

Soh-no.Jo-ivah,  [Large  Kettle]. 
A  grandson  of  the  noted  Chief,  Governor  Blacksnake,  other- 
wise designated  on  the  old  treaties  as  "The  Nephew."  The 
family  is  descended  from  Shawnee  captives.  Blacksnake  was  a 
friend  of  the  white  man,  although  he  fought  with  Brant  in  the 
revolution,  and  was  a  leader  of  his  people  in  council  and  on  the 
war-path.  Like  his  grandson  he  was  tall  and  commanding, 
but  of  a  benignant  aspect.  He  died  at  Allegany  twenty-five 
years  ago,  aged  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  years. 

Wn.LiAM  Jones, 

Tho-na-so-ioah,  [Large  Collection  of  Sand]. 
A  son  of  Wm.  Jones,  a  favorite  interpreter  of  Red 
Jacket — the  half  breed  son  of  the  famous  captive,  Horatio 
Jones.  Our  guest  is  three-quarters  Indian,  although  of  rather 
fair  complexion.  He  is  one  of  the  two  hereditary  military 
Sachems  of  the  Iroquois  League,  which  were  always  selected 
from  the  Seneca  nation. 


54 

Chestkr  C.  Lay, 

Ho-do  an-Jioh,  [Bkarini;  the  Eakjh]. 
United  States  Interpreter  for  the  Reservation,  is  a  youn^^ 
Seneca  of  fine  presence,  well  educated,  a  superior  musician 
and  the  organizer  and  leader  of  the  Cattaraugus  Indian  Band, 
which  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  finest  bands  in 
Western  New  York.  '  , 

Wm.  Hknrn, 
Hojiikatek,  [Fish  Cakrikk]. 

A  Cayuga  Chief,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  renowned  Fish 
Carrier,  a  favorite  of  Washington,  and  the  most  celebrated 
Sachem  of  the  Cayuga's,  unless  we  except  Logan.  He  has  in 
his  possession  a  massive  silver  medal  presented  to  his  grand- 
father by  Gen.  Washington,  a  counterpart  of  the  one  worn  by 
Red  Jacket. 

Nicholson  H.  P.arker, 

(ra-i/en-tioa-ge/i,  [CdUN  Pi.antek]. 
A  brother  of  Oen.  Ely  S.  Parker,  |  Do-ne-ho-ga-wa],  The  Par- 
kers, on  their  father's  side,  were  Wyandot's,  or  Hurons.  Their 
mother  was  a  vSeneca  of  princely  blood,  a  near  relative  of  Red 
Jacket.  Their  residence  at  Tonawanda  Reservation  was  the 
favorite  stopping  place  of  Red  Jacket  on  his  way  to  the  sev- 
eral Indian  .settlements,  to  Washington,  etc.  Parker  holds 
the  Sachemship  filled  by  Cornplanter. 

Bkthia  May  Parkkk, 

Minnehaha. 

A  grand-daughter  of  Chief  Parker;  the  little  Indian  fairy  or 
wood  nymph  who  unveiled  the  monument.  Although  de- 
scended from  a  celebrated  Iroquois  Chief,  she  is  yet,  like  her 
namesake,  the  Minnehaha  of  Longfellow,  an  Algonquin,  her 
mother  being  a  member  of  the  historic  tribe  of  Abenaquis,  who 
dwelt  on  the  shores  of  St.  Francis  and  the  Penob.scot.  Indian 
children  belong  to  the  tribe  of  their  mother,  and  her  tribe  is 
fast  disappearing  from  its  old  haunts  in  the  mossy  woods  of 
]\laine  and  Ouebec, 


55 

In  their  picturesque  garb,  and  with  their  dignified  bear- 
ing, I  have  never  met  a  more  interesting  group  than  these 
visitors  at  Canoofa. 


t^' 


OlI-'XEH. 
T  H  E  \'    A  R  E    CrO  I N  G    A  \\'  A  \'  I 


DEATH    OE    CIIIEE    PARKER. 

Since  the  foregoing  sketches  were  received  from  Mr. 
Bryant,  Sacliem  Parker  has  been  summoned  to  his  long  home. 
He  died  suddenlv  at  his  residence  on  the  Cattaraugus 
Reservation  on  Saturday,  May  14th,  1892,  The  subjoined  ac- 
countof  his  life,  and  just  tribute  to  his  worth,  is  compiled  from 
press  notices  published  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Nicholson 
H.  Parker,  who  was  possessed  of  high  intelligence  and  educa- 
tion, and  had  long  been  a  man  of  force  and  influence  among 
the  historic  Six  Nations  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  born 
on  the  Tonawanda  Reservation  in  1822.  Having  received  a 
good  common  school  education  at  home,  he  entered  the  State 
Normal  School  at  Albany,  from  which  institution  he  graduated 
with  honor  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  and  coming  soon  after 
to  the  vSeneca  Mission  near  Versailles  began  work  under  the 
American  Board,  as  interpreter  and  translator  for  the  Rev. 
Asher  Wright,  whom  he  assisted  in  his  translation  of  the  four 
Gospels  into  the  Seneca  language,  and  in  the  preparation  of 
an  edition  of  the  Seneca  Hymn  book,  as  well  as  in  the  publi- 
cation of  various  tracts  and  papers  in  the  same  language.  He 
al.so  held  the  position  of  United  States  interpreter  for  ten  or 
twelve  years.  Mr.  Parker  was  a  remarkable  man,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  a  remarkable  family.  His  education  and  special  abil- 
ities fitted  him  for  business  and  official  positions  to  which  he 
was  often  invited,  but  his  thorough  sympathy  with,  and  devo- 
tion to  the  interests  of  his  own  people  led  him  to  remain  on 
the  Reservation,  and  by  influence  and  example  promote  the 


5^ 

advancement  and  well  bein<^  of  his  Nation.  He  had  a  large 
farm  which  he  managed  successfully,  employing  the  most  ap- 
proved methods  and  the  T^est  and  latest  agricultural  imple- 
ments. He  was  a  sincere  Christian,  liberal  and  broad  in  his 
charities  to  Christian  or  Pagan,  Indian  or  White  alike.  His 
funeral  took  place  from  his  residence,  and  was  largely  attended; 
all  the  officials  of  the  Seneca  Nation  belonging  on  the  Reser- 
vation being  present.  The  services  were  conducted  by  Rev. 
George  Runciman,  assisted  by  Rev.  M.  F.  Trippe.  The 
choir  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  Church,  and  Lay's  Cornet 
band  were  present  and  participated  in  the  service.  Mr.  l^ar- 
ker's  death  leaves  among  the  New  York  Indians  a  \'acant 
place  not  easily  filled,  the  rare  combination  existing  in  him  of 
old  race  feeling,  and  knowledge  of,  and  experience  in  modern 
affairs  rendered  his  assistance  and  council  invaluable  to  the 
Indians  around  him. 


Among  the  distinguished  guests  present  and  seated  upcm 
the  platform,  besides  the  Indian  delegations  and  others  who 
participated  in  the  proceedings, were  Dr.Joseph  C.Greene,  Pres- 
ident of  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society;  Cyrus  K.  Remington, 
of  Buffalo,  Geo.  H.  Harris  of  Rochester,  Hon,  A.  |.  Williams, 
of  Cleveland,  Dr.  M.  H.  Mills,  of  Mount  Alorris,  i)r.  Lincoln, 
of  Hobart  College;  Reporters  of  the  Pre.ss.  etc. 

I.KTTKKS. 

From  the  large  number  of  responses  to  the  invitations  to 
be  present  at  the  ceremonies  of  the  day,  the  following  are 
subjoined  as  evincing  the  general  character,  tone  and  spirit 
of  the  answers  received. 

Asiii-iKi.i),  Mass.,  October  9th,  1891. 
I)i;ak  Sir: — I  am  sincerely  obliged  to  you  for  the  invita- 
tit)n  to  the  ceremonies  at  Canoga  on  the  14th,  and  wish  that  it 
were  possible  for  me  to  accept  it.  The  erection  of  such  mem- 
orials is  a  public  service  in  which  all  New  Yorkers  are  inter- 
ested.    We  who  occupy  the  territory  of  the  great  Indian  I*^m- 


57 

pire  of  Central  New  York  may  well  commemorate,  even  if  in- 
directly, the  most  powerful  and  advanced  political  organiza- 
tion achieved  by  our  predecessors. 

Very  truly  yours, 

GEORr.F.  William  Curtis. 

New  York,  October  8th,  1891. 

Dear  Sir: — Be  assured  that  I  feel  highly  honored  by  the 
"  formal  invitation  to  the  unveiling  of  the  Red  Jacket  monu- 
ment at  Canoga  "  on  the  14th  inst.,  v\hich  you  had  the  kind- 
ness to  send  me.  ]\Iy  duties  here  are  such,  however,  as  to 
make  it  impracticable  for  me  to  be  with  you  on  that  occasion. 
This  dedication  of  the  birth-place  of  the  great  vSeneca  Chief 
and  Orator,  Sagoyawatha,  is  an  eminently  praise-worthy  act, 
and  one  deserving  the  warmest  gratitude  of  the  remnants  of 
the  Ir'oquois  in  this  State. 

Please  accept  for  yourself,  and  tender  to  your  collabora- 
tors in  executinof  this  work,  mv  individual  and  sincere  thanks 
for  so  honorable  and  appropriate  a  memorial  to  a  true  son  of 
the  forest.  I  am  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Ely  S.  Parker,  or  Doxehogawa, 

Iroquois  Sachem 

Varick,  N.  Y.,  October  12,  1891 

Dear  Sir: — I  acknowledge,  with  thanks,  the  invitation  of 
the  ^Vaterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society,  to  attend  the  un- 
veiling of  the  monument  to  the  Indian  Chieftain,  Red  Jacket, 
on  the  14th  inst,  and  regret  that  the  condition  of  my  health 
forbids  acceptance  of  the  same. 

An  American,  traveling  in  foreign  lands,  cannot  fail  to 
notice  in  almost  every  town  and  city,  some  monument  or  his- 
torical tablet  erected  to  mark  the  place  of  birth  or  of  burial,  of 
some  person  of  local  ''renown,  and  to  perpetuate  his  heroic 
deeds  and  achievements,  or  his  fame  acquired  perhaps  in  the 
more  quiet  work  and  pursuits  of  life. 

In  our  own  country,  much  yet  remains  to  be  done  to  place 
us  in  line  in  this  respect,  with  the  older  countries  of  the  world. 
I  am  glad  that  the  Waterloo  Library  and  Historical  Society 
has  erected  t\yo  memorial  and  historical  monuments — in  fact, 
three — for  its  Librarv  building  is  a  worthv  and  abiding  mem- 
orial  to  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of  the  town. 

It  is  fitting  and  proper  that  there  should  be  erected  upon 


5« 

the  soil  of  v^eneca  County,  a  monument  to  mark  the  birth-place 
of  the  great  vSeneca  Chieftain,  Warrior,  (Jrator  and  vStates- 
man  Red  Jacket — belongini^  to  the  celebrated  Confederation 
of  the  wSix  Nations — the  strength,  organization  and  form  of 
ofovernment  of  which  has  been  the  wonder  and  admiration 
of  scholars  and  statesmen,  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

Wishing  you  a  succesful  completion  of  your  labors  in  tliis 
matter,  and  a  bright  future  for  your  v^cx:ietv,  I  am 

Very  truly  yours, 

DlKDRFCll   Wll.l.KKS. 

Schoharie,  N.  Y..()ct.  7th,  1891. 
My   Dkak  Sn-i: — We  are  in  receipt  of  your  cordial  and  gen- 
erous invitation  to  be  with  you  on  (October  14th. 

We  realize  that  men  who  strive  to  preserve  the  ancient 
landmarks  of  our  country  are  in  some  sense  national  educators 
and  national  benefactors,  and  deserving  of  aid  and  encourage- 
ment from  all  who  hold  the  future  of  our  people  in  esteem. 

Allow  me  to  thank  you  again  for  your  kind  and  beautiful 
card  of  invitation,  and  brotherly  recognition  of  our  voung 
Society. 

Most  respectfullv  vours, 

M.  W.  Stevens,  Pres. 

Brantford.  OxTA Kin,  October  12th,  1892. 

Dear  Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  a  card  of  invitation,  to  be  present  at  the  unveiling  of  a 
Monument  to  Red  Jacket,  at  Canoga,  on  the  14th  inst. 

It  was  my  wish  to  be  with  you  upon  so  interesting  an  oc- 
casion, but  I  have  been  so  unwell,  it  would  be  imprudent  to 
leave  home. 

I  regret  it  the  more,  as  I  take  a  deep  interest  in  all  that 
pertains  to  the  Indians,  having  been  intimately  and  officially 
associated  with  the  Six  Nations  for  near  thirty  years,  and,  of 
which  confederation,  Red  Jacket  was  a  leading  warrior  and 
Chief;  and,  when  I  resided  at  the  Town  of  Niagara,  I  remem- 
ber of  hearing  of  the  Chief's  lamented  death. 

The  meiTiorial  to  Brant,  erected  in  a  Park  of  this  small 
city  in  1886,  has  proved  a  most  attractive  object  of  adm  iration 
and,  I  doubt  not,  your  successful  effort,  as  well,  that  in  Buffalo, 
in  recognition  of  so  distinguished  a  Representative  of  a  line 
and  noble  race,  will  be  duly  appreciated  by  a  thinking  public. 

Another  disappointment  I  feel  in  being  deprived  of  the 
deligiit   in    hearing  my  friend.  Mr.  Br3'ant  of   Buft'alo,  upon  a 


siibiect  for  which  no  one  is  more  able  to  discant.     T  am,  dear 
sir,"  Yours  sincerely, 

J.    GiLKISOX. 

Courteous  and  congratulatory  replies  were  received  from 
Vice-President  Morton,  Gov.  Hill,  Lieut.  Gov.  Jones,  Sec'y  of 
vState  Rice,  Hon.  H.  H.  Rockwell,  Hon.  J.  Sloat  Fassett,  W.  H. 
Eole,  State  Librarian,  Pennsylvania;  W.  vS.  vStryker,  Adjt. 
Gen.,  New  Jersey,  Buffalo  Historical  Society,  Oneida  County 
Historical  Society,  C.  W.  Darling,  Utica;  President  Potter, 
Hobart  College:  W.  W.  Pasko,  New  York;  S.  R.  Mumford, 
Detroit;  Rev.  Dr.  Lewis  Halsey,  Farmer  Village;  Rev.  Albert 
Cusick,  ( )nondaga  Castle;  Rev.  J.  W.  Sanborn,  Naples;  Rev.  L. 
A.  Lambert.  Scottsville;  Rev.  James  O'Connor,  Seneca  Falls; 
Mrs.  Harriet  ^Maxwell  Converse,  New  York;  Hon.  C.  A.  Sew- 
ard. New  York;  Hon.  Thos.  M.  Howell.  Canandaigua;  Fred- 
erick Carman,  Albany;  (ien.  George  M.  Guion,  Chicago;  Dr. 
C.  C.  Wyckoff,  Buffalo;  Edward  F.  DeLancey,  New  York; 
\V.  Fn)thingham,  Fonda;  John  L.  Minard,  Fillmore;  Hon. 
C.  ^V.  Hutchinson,  Utica;  Norman  vSeymour,  Mount  Morris; 
Rev.  \V.  'M.  Beauchamp,  Baldwinsville;  Cyrus  K.  Remington. 
Ihiffalo.  and  others. 

The  presence  of  Cliief  John  Jacket,  the  grandson  of  the 
great  orator,  of  Chief  John  Buck,  the  Fire-Keeper  and  Cus- 
todian of  the  Wampum  Belts,  the  records  of  the  confederacy 
ofthe  Iroquois,  and  the  number  of  prominent  chiefs,  including 
representatives  ofthe  Senecas,  the  Onondagas  and  the  Cayugas, 
marked  the  event  as  important  in  its  .significance  a^d  historic 
in  its  character. 


TiiK  Wajeki.oo  Lii!K.\rv  AM)  H  isToRK  A 1.  SociETV  in  prc- 
.senting  this  report  of  the  proceedings  at  the  Unveiling  and  Ded- 
ication of  the  ^Monument  erected  by  the  Society  to  the  memory 
of  the  Indian  Chief,  Red  Jackkt.  at  Canoga.  October  14th. 
1 89 1,  takes  the  opportunity  of  tendering  its  thanks  to 
all  who  hfmored  the  occasion  with  their  presence.  The 
tratherin''-    of    the  va^^t    thronir    then     and    there   assembled 


6o 

may  be  justly  reg-arded  as  an  expression  of  ap])rova]  of  the 
vSociety's  work — an  indieation  Ihat  the  popular  mind  is  in 
touch  with  the  o-enerous  instinets  and  impulses  of  humanitv 
that  in  all  times,  and  with  all  people,  have  prompted  homage 
to  exalted  genius.  In  honoring  this  man,  tlie  Demos- 
thenes of  his  raee,  to  whom  all  eonteJiiporaneous  testimony 
awards  a  gift  and  power,  most  marvelous  to  swav  and  eontrol. 
to  arouse  orealm  the  minds  of  all  who  heard  him,  the\-  were 
honoring  themselves. 

The  presence  of  the  vast  concourse  of  people  upon  lliis 
o:jcasion,  was  also  a  tribute  to  loyalty  and  patriotism. 

In  the  museum  of  the  Buffalo  Historical  vSoeiety  is  ])re- 
served  the  marble  slab  placed  by  Henry  Placide,  the  actor,  at 
the  head  of  Red  Jacket's  grave.  On  it  are  inscribed  the 
words  "He  was  the  Friend  and  Protector  of  his  People."  Most 
befittingly,  the  great  orator  now  lies  in  the  beautiful  cemetery 
at  Buffalo,  and,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Buffalo  Historical 
vSociety,  is  to  be  reared  over  his  resting  place  a  noble  structure 
of  marble,  surmounted  bv  a  bronze  statue  of  the  Chi^'f. 
But  neither  granite,  nor  marble,  nor  bronze,  the  fame  of 
oratory,  or  renown  of  leadership,  so  touches  the  human  heart 
as  the  simple  words,  "  The  Friend  and  Protector  of  liis 
People."  His  last  words  indicate  how  beloved  them.  ( )n 
his  dying  bed,  he  made  this  pathetic  utterance:  "  I  am  an 
aged  tree  and  can  stand  no  longer,  mv  leaves  are  fallen,  and 
my  branches  are  withered,  and  I  am  shaken  by  every  l^rcezc. 
Think  not  that  I  mourn  for  myself.  I  go  to  join  the  s])irits 
of  my  fathers,  where  age  cannot  come,  but  my  heart  faints 
when  I  think  of  mv  people  who  are  soon  to  be  scattered  and 
forgotten." 

While  gazing  on  the  tree  of  granite  here  erected,  imagina- 
tion  suggests  the  thought,  that  the  utterance  of  the  d\ing 
Chief  might  be  interpreted  as  a  prayer  that  his  memor\'  might 
live  long  in  the  hearts  of  men;  and  that  this  tree  turned  to 
stone,  is  the  answer  vouchsafed  b}-  the  (jrcat  Spirit  to  the  dy- 
ing Chieftains  su]i])lication. 


COI  UMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 


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